Do you have some great ideas and experiences to recount (as all seniors do), but you’re afraid to put them in writing because you doubt your writing skills? Are you worried about where to put the commas, the semicolons, or the paragraph breaks? Did your old English teacher fill your papers with red marks?

I’m here to offer my free copy editing services. Just log in and submit your articles to The Elders Tribune as usual, and I will deal with those annoying glitches that drive English teachers crazy. Does that mean I will change your writing so much that you won’t recognize it? No way!

Although it is a time-honored profession, copy editing seems to mean different things to different people. It’s not censorship. It’s not rewriting. The dictionary definition seems quite simple: “Correcting and preparing (a manuscript, for example) for typesetting and printing.” In the field of journalism, copy editors are usually responsible not only for correcting errors, but for making sure that written text conforms to the publication’s style sheet in matters of punctuation and format.

What I have in mind is much less restrictive. I believe that all on-line publications should be clear, readable, correctly spelled and punctuated, and effective enough to avoid making readers cringe over writing errors. If you never make such errors, congratulations! But don’t hesitate to take advantage of a little editing assistance. Most writers do.

Here is a statement about copy editing from Infinity Publishing’s free guide, Become a Published Author. The company offers this service for a penny per word. “Utilizing our copyediting service will not change the style, flow, character usage, or story line of your book. Your unique approach and style will be preserved, as this service does not provide developmental or substantive editing.” I, too, intend to preserve your style. What’s more, if you object to my minor editing, you can complain to me or the Webmaster. What you write remains your own.

Remember that you probably write better than you think you do, and that practice helps. Write, and your writing will get better. Start by writing as you speak. Don’t try to impress anyone with big words or monumental sentences. Don’t think of what you initially write as “sacred text” that cannot be altered. In fact, you should always go over it yourself to make sure that you’ve said what you intended to say. Even a spell checker can’t catch all of those nasty typos and other glitches. A friendly, non-judgmental copy editor can improve your articles, and that’s what I plan to do when my help is needed.

So submit your articles confidently. Follow the Webmaster’s schedule–or don’t. Just write! And be sure to read and comment on what others write.

Monday: Money
Tuesday: Health and Lifestyle
Wednesday: Technology
Thursday: Writing
Friday: Recreation
Saturday: Reminiscence
Sunday: Video