Footnotes to a Conversation, February 20, 2023
Editing – Fun?
I confess – I hate writing. Or at least, I hate writing the first paragraph. Once I get that down, it’s usually not too bad. But getting started? Oh, I’m an excellent procrastinator. I don’t mind editing. On the other hand, I’ve never thought of it as a fun activity either. But Ann Handley disagrees and provides some tips:
Eliminate selfish sentences. (“Make each sentence earn its keep. The life goal for any sentence is to pass the baton to the next sentence—not stop the flow. Ax the blowhard sentences that repeat what’s been said, just because they like to hear themselves talk. A selfish sentence is not a team player.)
Eliminate selfish words.
Take out the parts the readers will skip.
Show us the humans! [Ann Handley]
Doodling
I hate borrowing a library book where a previous reader has made comments or corrections in the margins – and they’re usually incorrect anyway. But to uncover doodles of a hunting scene in a 1,200-year-old manuscript or to find out that a 14th century map had been traced using pin pricks? Well, that’s kind of cool. [BBC Future]
Woodlands & Wedgwood
British woodlands are so different from Western Canada’s coniferous forests. This one was next door to the World of Wedgwood and next to a rail line, but it felt very peaceful. I could hear the birdsong (and electric trains are relatively silent). [Hem Heath Woods, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust]
World of Wedgwood has a marvellous historical display of their pottery and china. If you get a chance, it’s definitely worth a visit (and it’s free). Photos are of china that is for sale.
I’m travelling – a lot – over the next week so the next issue of Footnotes to a Conversation will be published on March 6 once I’m settled in France.
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.