GroomWise Support

EDITING PUBLISHED ARTICLES

 

Making changes in an article you have published to GroomWise is easy.

1.       Go to www.typepad.com and log into your blog.

 

2.       Click on posts in the QuickStart window to your blog.

 

3.       Select the article you wish to edit.  

 

4.     Make changes.  We recommend that you keep a  backup copy of all your posts to GroomWise.  If you are doing major editing, it is a good idea to make sure you have a copy before you start cutting and pasting in the blog. 

5.       Click on SAVE,  below the posting window.  This will automatically publish your revised post.

 Now that you know how easy it is, feel free to make edits to your material as you notice words, grammar, or style that you might want to change.  Blogging is a work-in-progress.  That is one of the great advantages over hard copy publishing. 

GRAMMAR HELP IS HERE - CHECK OUT RIGHTWRITER

            For those of us taking the challenge of becoming better writers, I have found an excellent grammar check program that also gives feedback about writing style.  Rightwriter is available for $30 for a download version, or you can have a CD for $40.  It is quick and easy to use.  You can use it to check a whole document or a single paragraph.  The more you use it, the more you learn about your writing and your own personal grammar problems.  In addition to pointing out specific grammar corrections, it gives your writing a readability profile (three scores).  This tells you how easy or difficult it is to read your material.  I especially like the Strength Index, a 0-100% score with suggestions of what you can do to improve the strength of the writing style.  By using RightWriter  to analyze my article on taking it personally, I was able to raise my overall Strength Index from 47% to 71%.  With a little work, I was able to create an opening paragraph with a Strength Index of 90%.  This information gives me a great feeling of confidence in the material. 

Learning to work with Microsoft Word program has made a huge difference in my writing.  At first, I resented all the squiggly lines that showed up on my writing.  My first response was to check the spelling errors and ignore the other lines.  I did not want any stupid PROGRAM trying to correct my writing.  Yes, I was taking Grammar Check personally.  That was like saying, “I don’t want to improve.”  Once I started submitting articles to Pet Age, however, I felt that I needed to pay attention to those squiggly lines.  Soon it became a challenge to understand everything that was flagged for grammar or spelling check.  I soon learned that I had some bad grammar habits.  Some of these remain, such as usage of “effect” and “affect”, and too much use of the passive voice.  I count on Microsoft Grammar Check to remind me when I slip.  Now I will also be using RightWriter to alert me when my sentences are too complex, wordy, or incomplete.  I add my voice to the many professional writers who have recommended this program.  Check it out. Click HERE to go there.

Grammar Police - you, your, and you're

 Uh oh!  Are we the grammar police?  My English teachers would be so proud!  Here's a little grammar error that I see often online. "If you take care of you shears, they will take care of you!"  Which "you" is incorrect?  "You shears".  

• YOU is the pronoun. You deserve the very best.
• YOUR is the possessive.  Your shears are fabulous. Your grooming is great.
• YOU'RE is the contraction of "you are".  You're the greatest!

I hope this helps you avoid this pitfall.  Stay tuned to more from the grammar police in our efforts to halt grammar "stickie outies". 

ON BECOMING A GROOMWISE BLOGGER

Congratulations on your decision to write a blog sponsored by GroomWise.  Whether your blog is simple journal of your grooming experiences, or an archive of your professional articles, the GroomWise Blog is a professional venue that requires you to step up to the plate as a writer.

What is the difference between casual posting and publishing a blog? Posting to a bulletin board forum or to an email group allows for a great deal of informality.  Spelling and grammar errors are usually overlooked as long as the post can be understood.  It is expected that we are most often writing as we think, with little or no editing.  While blogging is certainly not as formal as writing for print publication, your GroomWise blog articles may end up reaching more readers than a magazine. Your GroomWise pieces are going to represent you, as a professional, and together will form a body of knowledge of the grooming industry.  Some editing is necessary.

What is editing?  The first level of editing is checking your text for spelling and grammar errors. Most word processing programs have spell check and grammar check options. Publishing articles with glaring spelling errors or terrible grammar is like letting a dog go out of your salon with “stickie outies”.  Why is it that some groomers will chase a dog all the way to the door of the salon to get that last little bit of hair sticking out from inside a rear leg, but won’t take a few minutes to spell check an article that is being published?  Editing involves going over your written work and getting rid of errors and polishing for smooth reading.  Writing that is well-organized, to the point, uses good grammar, and is free from spelling errors has integrity and power.  Sometimes editing also involves deleting extraneous material that is not contributing to the flow of your article.  Effective writing is concise.  Just as a lovely grooming has form and balance, a great article or written piece has a clear form, a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Not every sentence that comes to mind is necessary to finished product.  Here’s the good news: the more you edit and polish your material, the easier it becomes. 

Becoming a GroomWise blogger means taking responsibility for your writing, and working to improve your published product.  While blogging may not carry as serious an expectation as print journalism, it is a large step beyond simply posting what’s on your mind to a groomers’ board or email group.  Writing is a craft that is developed with practice, just as grooming takes time to master.  Welcome to your new identity as a writer!