Inspiration

This year, I’ve been trying to get inspired to find out what it is I want to do for the rest of my life. That is, how to make a living and to find more enjoyment and meaning in my everyday working life. I’m hoping that my day job will come to include more writing and editing. Then hopefully I can transition to becoming a full-time editor and/or writer. And I’m hoping I can find more fulfilment in life through my creative writing.

In the meantime, I’m reading a variety of inspirational materials, including following the blogs/websites, below. They all talk about following your dreams yet also trying to make money from doing work that you love. And they all talk about using your writing to help you achieve your aims.

Zen Habits

http://zenhabits.net/

Often voted the one of the best blogs on the web. Leo Babauta is all about simplifying your life and finding happiness through creative thinking and pursuits.

Live Your Legend

http://liveyourlegend.net/

Another very popular blog. Scott Dinsmore encourages everyone to do work they love and to make a living from it.

Change Your Thoughts

http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/

A blog from the other side of the pond. Steven Aitchison gives very real tips on how to make a living from working for yourself on the web.

The Art of Non-Conformity

http://chrisguillebeau.com/

Chris Guillebeau is on a mission to visit every country on the planet. Along the way, he shares tips for changing the way you live through travel, and working for yourself through microbusiness.

Following these guys’ blogs, I get a spoonful of inspiration everyday, which helps me keep going forward with my writing and editing.

http://www.iainclaridge.co.uk/blog/411

The Editor Strikes Back

The return of Tina: super editor and business writer.

This one's for all of you – you know who you are, and there are many of you out there – who've ever had to edit a manager's writing.

Spelling

We had quite a fun discussion in Editing class today about the differences between Australian and American spelling. Yes, yes: the picture is about UK and US spelling, but you get the drift.

I was very smug with myself that I was able to point out to my teacher – who was very patient with me, bless her heart – that 'glamourous' is an accepted alternate spelling of 'glamorous'. Now I'm worried that I use 'glamourous' far too often in my writing to know this fact ...

And in this website, I think I have found my new spiritual home ...

http://www.grammar.net/

Delete

Harsh. But true.

Editing marks

No really, these are real ...

Standards

Check out the Australian Standards for Editing Practice at the Institute for Professional Editors website. Sounds like dry reading? They're really not. The Standards are a great guide to help both novice editors, like myself, as well as seasoned editors, to balance their skill-sets. They're also the essential guide to preparing for the professional accreditation scheme for editors. Speaking of which, the latest accreditation exam is being held later this year, in October 2012. See the link below for information.

http://iped-editors.org/Editing_standards.aspx

http://www.editorsvictoria.org/professional-development/accreditation

'All that glitz and grammar'

Great article from the redoubtable Charles Wright – aka Bleeding Edge – in 'The Age', 6 June 2012, extolling the virtues of good writing, editing and proofreading in the digital age. I look forward to the foundation of the 'Bleeding Edge Institute for the Protection of Spelling, Grammar and Syntax'.

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/hometech/all-that-glitz-and-grammar-20120606-1zutz.html

Appendix

Editing humour.

http://sardonicsalad.com/

Editing Humour

Some editing humour from the back cover of the May 2012 issue of 'The Victorian Writer', published by 'Writers Victoria'.

http://writersvictoria.org.au/