Copyediting world

Coming from the engineering and science world, this class has been refreshing. There is a common stereotype of engineers: they may be able to design gravity-defying structures, but to have them write a paper on what they are doing is somewhat of a challenge. I heard the phrase “we’re engineers, why should we have to go to some English class?” more than a few times in my undergraduate classes, which leads to interesting collaborations for group reports. Of course, many engineers write well, usually in a clear and straightforward manner. One thing that I thought was interesting is that I think there is really a common ground between copyeditors and engineers that I want to try out on you, so here goes.

I got really excited when several other people admitted enjoying such a taboo thing like grammar trees, because secretly, I like them too. I got to thinking, and I realized that the reason I like grammar trees comes from the same (obsessive?) mechanism in my brain that makes me want to find the optimal solution to a problem. Both copyediting and engineering are problem solving jobs, where paying close attention to detail is crucial. It seems funny that with as many hours as an engineer will spend in front of an Excel spreadsheet, how much he/she/e might not want to spend making sure their report is well written. I suppose it’s just the type of problems we like to tackle. I see a potential bridge here…

I found some additional incentives to be a copyeditor: “Top 10 Reasons Why Being a Copy Editor Is So Cool”