Red Pen Envy and Margin Love

It's editing talk time again!

Let's talk red pens. This falls into the category of "old school" when it comes to editing someone's work. I wanted to be a school teacher for a long time, and part of me wonders if that doesn't have something to do with my love for that red editing pen. Honest moment: Editing hard copies with my red pen is my favorite part by far. Crossing out incorrect punctuation, correcting spelling errors, scribbling love notes to my author in the margins.... *sigh* Okay, I'm a dork. But it's okay... this dork could be editing your work someday!  It's just so different than an electronic copy. It's more personal. It makes a story familiar in a completely different way than editing on a computer screen.

"Margin love" is a term I think I've kind of coined myself. It means writing notes that you think about as you're reading in the margins of your books . I love looking back through my books that I've margin-loved and it immediately transports me to that moment; where I was, who I was with, smells, sounds, and sometimes even what I was wearing. I remember my book, bouncing around in my bag as I carried it around with me to read wherever I went. (Cue Rory Gilmore reference here. BTW, ya'll should know I'm a Gilmore Girls FANATIC. I know all the episodes, all the lines, all the songs. Just a warning.) I completely believe that if you have interesting perceptions or amusing impressions, you should write in your margins. Books are made to be loved, to be analyzed, and debated over with your friends. A good book can spark intelligent thought and banter, spring emotions from the page and into the room, and make you question what you think you know. Sometimes it can even inspire you to bring your own ideas to life across a page. 

So don't be afraid to pencil in your margins and then SHARE!! Let other people read your copy and see what they think!

Thanks for stopping by!!