The Paper Chase (but not the 1973 movie)

[gnomi]

The longer I'm in this editing business, the more I collect paper with little purple marks all over it. And I've been contemplating what to do with all the paper with the little purple marks. Thus, I poll:

[Poll #681905]

Comments

How about the series, then?

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

Of course, by "Narf!" I mean "Use it for rat bedding" though I suppose I could have chosen "Packing materials!" to represent that choice as well.

Re: How about the series, then?

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

Whoa!

You can use shredded paper as rat bedding?

Any qualifications? we have three ratties, and they go through bedding like it was going out of style!

Re: How about the series, then?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

Probably it just depends on whether the ink used was nontoxic. You can use shredded BW newspaper; that's all soy ink.

My gerbils and hamsters got recycled paper bits. When I got lazy I just threw in bits of cardboard and paper; they really liked almost-empty toilet paper tubes. Those critters were extremely efficient biological paper shredding devices. I don't know if rats do the shredding thing other rodents do.

Re: How about the series, then?

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

It's ok as long as the ink/toner is non-toxic (and the paper isn't something funky like non-carbon repro). I generally use carefresh in the bottom of the cages and give them shredded paper for nest building. The carefresh is pricey, but good at absorbing odors. The paper bedding gets stinky fast, but is easy to replace between carefresh changes.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

I actually do any one of recycling, saving for future reference, or sending back to the writer. Depends on the writer, whether it's for a workshop or not, etc.

If it's for immediate submission or publication, all of my editing is on screen. I sometimes edit on paper and then transfer to the screen though.

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

I tend to do my first edits on the computer, then print for a final "go over", as some errors are obvious in print that I just skip over on the screen apparently.

When someone else edits my work, I love to see their notes, as I can often follow them to discover the point at which they begin to sense a problem (allowing me to go back and get it out from the root, as it were). For simple things (like correcting passive voice and incorrect placement of the word "only" in a sentence, two focuses of the last bout of editing I did for SteamPower) seeing how often I make these mistakes (and what sorts of ways they manifest) is very helpful for me. It drives the errors home and allows me to begin avoiding making them, which hones my writing skill.

I don't bother shredding my stuff. I figure if someone wants to come out to BFE Western Mass and dig through my recycling to see what I'm working on, they damned well deserve to find something juicy. :) I do however, shred financial documents and the like (just in case anyone reading this got any weird ideas.)

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

Do I edit on paper? Always isn't right, sometimes seems too wishy washy. I wish you had a "usually" option. It is ALWAYS my preference to edit on paper, but it isn't always feasible.

As for shredding vs. recycling... I'm a big fan of recycling, but I can't b/c I work with sensitive documents. And finally as for what shredded paper is good for, I have no idea, because we have to burn our paper shreds. Fun, huh?

[cellio]

I almost always edit on paper. For short *text* documents that came to me as email, I'll edit back in conventional email-conversation format. But if you send me something formatted, like Word or HTML, I'm going to print it out and scribble.

I didn't answer the penultimate question: I don't care about the manuscript after I've dealt with the edits, but sometimes the scribblings are more useful than any summary the editor might send me. But if I'm not going to get those scribbles, I don't have a use for the manuscript if it comes back to me.

[tygerseye.livejournal.com]

As usual, I'm here for the narf, but I took the poll anyway ;-)

I always edit everything that I write solo and intend to submit somewhere, regardless of length, on paper at least once during the process. Usually I do it as a last editing pass right before it goes out, but sometimes I decided it needs to be done earlier.

Other things - co-writing, other people's work, etc. I usually do on the computer because I need track changes.

I like my manuscripts back, but I understand why some publishers don't do that. It gets expensive and annoying.

And I'd like to recycle white paper, but they don't do it either at home or at the office (Can you believe it? A law office that doesn't recycle white paper! It's a crime.)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

D'you want your manuscripts back? They're in my pile. :-)

(yes, I printed out Sunday's story and marked it up in purple and then put the edits into the electronic version. I can't edit onscreen.)

[tygerseye.livejournal.com]

Wow, you do all your editing off screen... wow.

No, you can keep them. Might as well keep Sunday's, too, you might see it again. Heh.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i edit on paper for my writing group because everyone then gets the manuscripts with comments, but otherwise, not so much.

*shreds paper*

[eal.livejournal.com]

Depends where the manuscript is.

Laptop doesn't speak printer. So if the manuscript is on the laptop it gets edited on the laptop.

M.

[cramerica.livejournal.com]

dittoz

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

I usually edit on screen unless I'm checking the final copy; then, I'll print it if it's longer than a few pages.

The kind of text varies, too; I haven't done much work with fiction, but when I have I usually print it out. It just seems to flow better.

[byrne.livejournal.com]

I do a paper edit on novels, shorter things are all onscreen, for the most part.

Then I double print for random things I print to read, and then I put it in the recycling bin.

[lisatheriveter.livejournal.com]

Depends on what the client wants, but I prefer to edit electronically. Shredded white paper is good for composting.

[jencallisto]

it depends on a combination of length, goal of editing, how much work i think it is likely to need, and convenience (printing is non-trivial currently).

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Love the icon!