Writing Rule #1. Keep Your Audience in Mind

By Gold Apple Slices | October 10, 2011 at 01:40 PM EDT | No Comments

NCIS is one of my favorite television shows. The lead agent, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, has a long list of rules that his junior agents know verbatim and follow strictly.

I have some rules for writing that I share with my students. The first rule is the most important: Keep your audience in mind! When people go wrong in their writing, it is usually because they neglected this rule. What does remembering your audience mean?

1.  Know your audience and tailor your writing for them. Spend some time thinking about the people reading your document. What are their occupations? If they are your bosses or teachers, you are going to address them differently than if they are your friends or your children. As a general rule, in professional settings such as school or work, use more formal, (but not stuffy) language and avoid profanity and potentially offensive humor. While some humor may not bother you, it may offend your audience, who will doubt your credibility and stop reading.

A critical question to consider is “What does my audience care about?” Think about how your message relates to their concerns and make the connection.

2.  When writing online, imagine your audience, both intended and unintended. Consider whom you hope to reach and plan your writing accordingly. For example, some audiences are happier with online abbreviations than others. Equally important in writing online is understanding that you will have an unintended audience. A basic truth about online writing is that ANYONE could read your words. This includes “private” emails or messages on Linked In or Facebook. Your unintended audience can include supervisors, children, parents, colleges, and credit bureaus. When posting something, consider how that unintended audience may react. Is it worth alienating any of these people? Unfair as it is, you are likely to deal with consequences if you offend your unintended audience.

3.  Finally, respect your audience. Understand that they often have limited time and attention to give to your message. Make your message as concise and engaging as you can. Have a clear logical flow, and proofread your message to be as free of errors as possible. For me, receiving an email with easy-to-fix spelling and capitalization mistakes makes me less willing to read the message.You will lose your audience if they feel that you do not respect them.

So, until next time, please keep your audience in mind! Don’t worry, however, unlike Agent Gibbs, I do not slap anyone on the back of the head.

Two Golden Principles of Becoming a Writer

By Gold Apple Slices | September 21, 2011 at 10:37 AM EDT | No Comments

In the next few blog entries, I will provide my key rules for writing. Before I do that, however, I want to mention two golden principles in becoming a good writer. They are well known, and I will repeat them once again: Reading a lot and writing a lot.

Reading a lot: Good writers read a lot. For me, it was instinctive. I enjoy reading. As a kid, I would read everything including the cereal box.  However, as a writer, it’s important to be a bit discriminating in your reading choices because there are only so many hours in a day.  With my various interests, I tend to read several things at once. My priorities are keeping up with the news in general, education issues, theology, and writing.  Your priorities might be in your field, but it also helps to expand your reading to current events and trends to know what your audience may be thinking about. Reading for fun is also important. I am currently reading Laurie R. King’s Beekeeping for Beginners which is part of her Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell mystery series. Totally addicting!

Writing a lot: Writing is one skill that cannot be learned by reading about it. Imagine you are watching one of those painting shows on PBS where the artist explains what he is doing as he completes a landscape. It looks so easy, but if you were to confront a canvas, you would likely be stumped. It is the same way with writing. At some point, you have to stop reading, talking, and thinking about writing, you have to do it. And while writing, you will make a lot of mistakes, but you will keep getting better if you learn from your mistakes.  This sounds simple, but writing takes a lot of courage. Sometimes, you hear people say “I have a book in my head,” but the brave ones are the ones who put that book on paper.

I will confess that this is one area where I fall short. I want my writing to be perfect, so I hesitate to get started. In the last couple weeks, I have neglected my writing including this blog. This time I can't blame the weather or finger surgery. I can only blame my own lack of courage. (In a future blog, I will address this fear that plaques most people when they are writing including, sometimes especially, professional writers. Nonetheless, writing on a regular basis is key to improving writing. So write something today: an e-mail, a response to this blog (please), a comment on Twitter or Facebook, or a journal entry.

Until next time, read something AND write!

The Making of a Grammar Grouch

By Gold Apple Slices | August 29, 2011 at 12:32 PM EDT | No Comments

With an earthquake, hurricane, and hand surgery, it has taken me a week to get back to the blog. Today I will tell you about how I developed my grammar skills.

As I mentioned last week, my understanding of grammar was mostly instinctive rather than disciplined. However, in the process of becoming an editor, I had to obtain a firmer grip on grammar rules, particularly areas of nuance.

Being a reader, naturally I hit the books. I found that several books were useful. Having style guides, such as Chicago Manual of Style, APA, and MLA is a must. But there are some other reads, which are actually fun.

My favorites include

• How Not to Write: The Essential Misrules of Grammar by the late William Safire. Amusing and informative.
• Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Connor
• Polishing the "PUGS": Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling Tips for Writers  by Kathy Ide. Available at www.KathyIde.com. This has been updated in the last year, so it is worth a new look.

As an editor, grammar is something that I regularly study to keep my skills fresh. Right now, I am reviewing an ESL grammar book for intermediate and advanced students. When I edit, I don't just rely on my memory, but I will consult at least one grammar guide. I also encourage my students to obtain their own grammar guides to use as reference.

In short, I am a grammar grouch. I cringe when I find misplaced apostrophes, the use of an adjective when an adverb is called for, and the use of I as an object pronoun. At times, I will email news publishers when I find an annoying error in their publications.  The Washington Post did not care for my feedback, but WTOP responded kindly.

However, I am not just being a grouch. Polishing a writer's grammar is important. Sloppy grammar will erode the credibility of a writer or a speaker very quickly. (Notice, that on television cop shows, the crooks are the ones who use double negatives.) It is also important as a writer or an editor to know when to break the rules. To break the rules, though, one should know the rules. Finally, the editor needs to know what grammar issues are up for debate. The use of "their" as a singular personal possessive pronoun is up for debate; the ban on double negatives is not.

I try not to make a nuisance of myself on grammar except with my students and and when editing a client's work. (As a rule, correcting a spouse's grammar is not a good idea!) But please pardon me if I wince when you tell me to "drive careful."

Seattle in October

By Gold Apple Slices | August 22, 2011 at 12:47 PM EDT | No Comments

What's a woman to do when she has completed her dissertation, defended it, and turned in the revisions?  Besides clearing off my paper covered dining room table and goofing off, I submitted a research presentation proposal to the upcoming annual conference of the North American Professors of Christian Education (NAPCE).  This conference is being held in Seattle from October 20-22. I just found out a week ago that my proposal was accepted. This is a joyful and mildly terrifying thing. I will be presenting among people whose books I have read and absorbed.

Nonetheless, here is the title and abstract for my presentation:

The Concept of Teacher Identity with Implications for the Development of Volunteer Teachers in the Church

Teacher identity is a theoretical concept that describes the ongoing, dynamic process in which teachers, in conjunction with their individual personalities, their social contexts, and their teaching environments, make sense of themselves as teachers. This presentation will cover underlying theories, debates, and major research in teacher identity. Re-envisioned within a Christian worldview, teacher identity holds promise to facilitate deep reflection on being a teacher in the body of Christ. Thus, a model for a Christ-based teacher identity will be presented to help volunteer teachers strengthen their vision for their role in the body of Christ.

While in Seattle, I will be staying with fellow Biola student (now grad) Dr. Sharon Warkentin Short who has her own excellent website http://bibleandteaching.com/  Despite feeling a little awed by the prospect, I am looking forward to Seattle in October.

On the Write Path

By Gold Apple Slices | August 17, 2011 at 02:08 PM EDT | No Comments

How did I become an editor? Mostly, I became an editor because of my love for reading and writing.

Reading. As a child, I was always reading. In part, this was because I was socially maladroit and completely incapable of playing any game involving a ball.  Therefore I spent most of my recess time in the library aspiring to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, or Beverly Cleary.

Writing. While I was a voracious reader, I was a less disciplined writer. Nonetheless, I worked on newspaper and yearbook in school. In college, I gravitated toward writing classes, which ended up being part of my minor in Language Arts. In both graduate schools, I did a great deal of writing. Eventually, I learned to accept that my nonfiction writing talents are stronger than my fiction.

I had always been an ad hoc editor, correctly others' papers in college and reading through my husband's dissertation. My true professional experience began with working on Anglican Sunday school curriculum under the patient tutelage of Peggy Noll. Growing as a professional has involved taking useful classes, attending writers' conferences, reading up on professional writing and editing, and becoming part of the Christian PEN, a network for editors and proofreaders. Through my work at Gold Apple Services, I have worked with two doctoral students, a lot of youth, one professor, and two nonprofit organizations. With each of these clients, I have learned a lot.

Finally, I should also say that being an editor also flows from having English major parents, both with a passion for writing. Dad actually wrote me a book about my cat, Frisky. Throughout my growing up years, my good command of grammar was more instinctive than disciplined. In a later post, I will tell you more about that, but next time, I will share about my upcoming speaking engagement. 

Meanwhile, I remain grateful that I had the opportunity to learn and enjoy reading and writing while on the path to editing.

Mistakes, I've Made a Few . .

By Gold Apple Slices | August 11, 2011 at 10:47 AM EDT | No Comments

At last, I will tell you about some mistakes I've made as a teacher. One of my first forays into teaching was conducting an elementary Sunday school class who treated me to animal noises, which were not part of my lesson plan. Most teachers have stories like that! So, here are a few of my mistakes, and what I have learned from them.

Not listening enough. Listening is a discipline that I have had to work hard to develop because I tend to run my mouth.  However, listening is an essential skill if you want to know your learners, understand their needs, and asses their progress. Everybody wants to be listened to, and really listening is a gift we can give our students.

Wanting to do too much.  I have had to learn over the years that doing an information dump is not effective. I have too often overwhelmed learners.  It is more meaningful for learners to dig deep into a few things than to lightly touch on many things. I still struggle with this tendency to give too much information.

Not being organized enough. There is a saying in children's work: "If you don't have a plan for the children, they will have a plan for you. And you won't like the plan they have for you!" Being well-prepared and setting up a structure for learners (of any age) helps them know what to expect and to be more comfortable.  This includes stating objectives and explaining why and how certain activities help them to learn.

Finally, one last word about mistakes. I still make plenty. Making mistakes is a part of learning and teaching.  Growing as a teacher or a person involves making mistakes and learning from them, and then making NEW mistakes. Hopefully, we will all have new mistakes to learn from today.

Next time, I will talk about being an editor.

Shout-Out: Charity's Closet

By Gold Apple Slices | August 06, 2011 at 03:29 PM EDT | No Comments

Last time, I promised to tell you about some of my teaching mistakes, but that will have to wait for me to give a Shout-Out to Charity's Closet, a local thrift boutique now located at Historic Savage Mill in Savage, MD.

This morning, I attended their ribbon cutting. If you are looking for a good place to buy inexpensive clothes and accessories in the Baltimore/Washington area, check out Charity's Closet. They offer gently-used, casual and dressy clothes for men and women at $5 for each item. Bring your checkbook or cash because they don't take credit cards. They also have accessories like scarves and jewelry. I treated myself to a Talbots jacket and two pins!

Not only do you get terrific deals, you benefit a great local cause - Success In Style.  This organization provides free professional attire and consulting for women and men, who need this help for attaining and maintaining  professional positions. 

The boutique is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 6 and Sundays from 11 to 6. I spoke with Jeannette Kendall, president of Success In Style, who told me that they would like to have the shop be open more hours, but they need volunteers! She also said that they could always use gently-worn men's and women's clothing, especially business wear. Jeannette is also looking forward to September 15, the date of the Annual Pink Bag Lunch, which is an opportunity to see a fashion show with their clients and network with other professionals who support this project.  Check out their site at www.SuccessInStyle.org.

Next time, I really will tell you some of my teaching mistakes!

Memories, From the Corners of My Mind

By Gold Apple Slices | August 04, 2011 at 11:57 AM EDT | No Comments

Hello All,

Last time, I said I would share favorite memories from my life as an educator. So, this week I have been reflecting on such memories and find it hard to pick just a few favorites.  Nonetheless, here are a few:

Listening to a student laugh at something he is reading. An adult student of mine, who has worked very hard at learning to read, is quick to observe absurdities in life. When he is able to enjoy his reading rather than struggling with it, he will sometimes laugh when he encounters something amusing. Hearing this student enjoy reading delights me.

Having students trust me. I always feel privileged and quite awed when students decide to trust me. One time in particular was teaching a fourth/fifth grade Sunday school class, where the students raised hard questions of faith that were on their minds.

Graduation at Project Literacy. At Project Literacy, where I currently do the bulk of my teaching, we hold a nice graduation ceremony for our students who have attained their high school diplomas through the External Diploma Program. For these students, it represents a great deal of work and persistence. Last year, one of my own students received her diploma. I had a great time posing with her in her cap and gown.

These memories are part of my 20 years experience as a teacher. For my Ed.D. dissertation, I concentrated on the concept of “teacher identity” which involves how  teachers, in conjunction with their own personalities and their own social and teaching contexts, make sense of their teaching.  Mistakes, as well as success, are parts of one’s teacher identity.  Next time, I will share some mistakes I have made.

Welcome to SLICES

By Gold Apple Slices | August 04, 2011 at 11:46 AM EDT | 1 comment

Hi. Welcome to SLICES – the official blog of Gold Apple Services. I’m Cynthia Campbell, principal consultant (also owner, chief cook, and bottle washer). With Gold Apple Services, I am able to combine two disciplines that I love – education and editing.

As such, in this blog, I will write about various issues related to those disciplines including adult literacy, teacher development, Christian education, principles of learning, principles of writing, etc.

Before jumping into these issues, it is only fair to let you know who you are dealing with, so I will make some introductory comments. First, I am a teacher. I’ve been a teacher for over 20 years, but my career has been varied. Rather than teaching one age level for a number of years, I have been privileged to teach preschoolers, ESL students, elementary-aged children, and graduate students.  With all these groups, I really enjoy helping them become active learners. Second, I am an editor. Informally, I started being an editor in college when a classmate had me proof her papers. In those days, I was more accurate than kind. Since then, I have improved in accuracy, but also I have come to understand that the role of an editor involves kindness, as writers entrust editors with their works, and by extension, personal parts of themselves.

That’s enough for now. Next time, I will write about some of my favorite memories as an educator.