You’re all set. Warm cup of coffee to hand, Chicago at the ready, blank style sheet just waiting. Your new copyediting project is all queued up.
Ten minutes in, and you sense it but keep going. Thirty minutes in, and you know this is no standard copyedit. The document is simply not ready for editing. Spot checks confirm your fears. You’re going to have to have The Talk with the writer.
The Talk
Telling the writer that you can’t copyedit the text until the writing itself is stronger is not a conversation you want to have. You’re accustomed to starting your work after the bones of good writing have already been established. Your job is to finesse the content, to polish and complete it.
Not this time. The manuscript is just not ready.
What should you say?
Nothing! At least for a little while.
Before you approach anyone about the situation (the writer, the project manager, the client), you must first prepare yourself for The Talk.
The Three Magic Words
Several times a year I teach an Introduction to Technical Communications class to undergrads. On the first day of class I teach them the three magic words of technical communication: audience, purpose, and context.
“If you learn nothing else in this class,” I tell them, “learn these three words. They help you analyze the rhetorical situation you’re in, and they will save you every time.”
The Three Magic Words can rescue you, too. Pour yourself another cup of coffee, pull out some scrap paper, and do some brainstorming.
These are just a few of the questions you might ask yourself as you analyze the situation you find yourself in.
Some writers will welcome the chance to improve their writing, while others will resist. Regardless of the response you anticipate, taking the time to think about audience, purpose, and context before having The Talk can help you have more confidence about handling this sometimes delicate conversation.
