Proofreading Perfection

Time to go back to basics. I've said it before and I'll say it again - proofreading is critical to any written text. As stated on my website for 'Word Write for Success', we provide proofreading and editing for document excellence. Some might ask why a document's excellence is important. Since we're in the throes of considering house renovations, I'll use a parallel.

As we renovate, we could have a bash at doing some of the work ourselves. We've watched a few home renovation shows on television - the Lifestyle Channel makes it all look quite easy. However, in our hearts we know that a room painted by a professional painter or a bathroom finished by a professional tiler is going to have a finish that we could never achieve, despite our best efforts. The assurance a professional offers will save us loads of time, stress, mess and worry. It will also save us from being in the expensive and frustrating situation of doing a botched job of the renos ourselves, only to have to call the professional in at the end of it all to fix the mistakes we've made.

Proofreading is a professional skill. Just as a painter, electrician or plumber possess a specific skill set which they bring to a job, so the proofreader will approach a proofreading job with the ultimate goal of providing an excellent finished product - your perfect document. So, the next time you have a document which you care about getting right, seek a professional's advice.

As an end of financial year special, we are offering all new customers 25% discount on your first document proofread by us. Contact 'Word Write for Success' at info@wordwriteforsuccess.com.au or go to our website - www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au

Burn the Floor!

This afternoon, my daughter and I went to see the amazing dance show by Jason Gilkerson, 'Burn the Floor', on at the Gold Coast Arts Centre at present. It was awesome, incredible, energetic and captivating. Each couple had been chosen from around the world, with countries represented including Russia, New Zealand and England, to name a few. A special surprise was seeing Henry from 'So You Think You Can Dance - Season 1' representing Australia. He is something else! Not only were the dancers fabulous, but they were accompanied by the two most skilled drummers I have ever seen - I can still feel the beat pumping! Then, there were the two singers, who were, once again, just wonderful.

I think you can gather that we were both blown away and so glad we were able to see the show. The only disappointment of the afternoon was that the theatre was not booked out. The performers deserved a full audience and testament to this was the resounding standing ovation they received at the finale. Talk about passion! The floor was on fire!

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Mean Girls Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to the quiz from yesterday's post:

1. How old is the main character, Cady? 16 years old
2. What colour t-shirt is she wearing on her first day at school? red
3. What is the date on the day that Aaron asks her to tell him the date? October 3rd
4. What will occur if Cady joins the Mathletes? Social suicide
5. Name three of the groups identified during the film. Plastics, Hot Asians, Asian Nerds, Preps, JV Jocks, Sexually Active Band Geeks, Burnouts
6. What colour is Damien's suit at the Christmas concert? white
7. Complete the phrase, 'Seeing a teacher outside school is like'..... 'seeing a dog walk on its hind legs
8. How has Gretchen's father made his fortune? Toaster Strudel
9. What is the name of the book Regina has compiled? The Burn Book
10.What is the answer to the sudden death question at the Mathletes championship? The limit does not exist

How did you go?

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Are you a 'mean' girl?

Today I've watched 'Mean Girls' for what must be the fourth or fifth time. It's an excellent film for all teenagers, girls and boys alike. Based on the book, 'Queen Bees and Wannabes', by Rosalind Wiseman, the film explores the adolescent world of cliques, gossip, peer pressure and boyfriends.

If you have already seen it, here are some questions for you to check how closely you were paying attention as you watched (and if you haven't seen it, you should - then trying answering the following):

1. How old is the main character, Cady?
2. What colour t-shirt is she wearing on her first day at school?
3. What is the date on the day that Aaron asks her to tell him the date?
4. What will occur if Cady joins the Mathletes?
5. Name three of the groups identified during the film.
6. What colour is Damien's suit at the Christmas concert?
7. Complete the phrase, 'Seeing a teacher outside school is like.....'
8. How has Gretchen's father made his fortune?
9. What is the name of the book Regina has compiled?
10. What is the answer to the sudden death question at the Mathletes championship?

Check tomorrow's post for the answers to these all-important questions.

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Why plan? Why not?

Today, I was supervising a group of students completing a piece of writing under supervised conditions. There were 28 students in the room. The task was to take 30 minutes - 5 minutes of planning, 20 minutes of writing and 5 minutes of editing.

Once the students began the 5 minute planning stage, I circulated around the room and observed the following: 27 students were busily doing as they had been told, making their plans in the designated space on the test. Then there was the one student who had merrily gone on his way, dispensing with the planning stage and moving straight into the writing phase.

It started me thinking. I wonder whether that particular student plans on travelling in the future, not necessarily on an overseas trip, but even a trip within Australia. Will he make a plan or will he just dive straight in and hope for the best? Will he take each day of the trip as it comes or will he know where he will be staying tomorrow night and how he will get there? Come to think of it, if he's not a planner by nature, he probably hadn't planned where he was meeting his friends for lunch today, let alone some nebulous future trip.

Perhaps the world can be divided into the planners and the doers. The planners step themselves through the process hypothetically. They devise a logical order and they consider what options are available. In this way, they have a 'road map' of sorts, irrespective of the task at hand. The task could be as simple as a piece of writing or it could be as mammoth as a wedding. In setting themselves up with a plan, they ensure greater predictability of the desired outcome.

In contrast, the doers are willing to take a chance, run a risk or leave all in the lap of the gods when it comes to outcomes. They throw caution to the wind and leap in with both eyes shut. I have no statistics to support this assertion, but my gut reaction is that these doers have the potential to be equally as successful in achieving a positive outcome. It might not be THE outcome (as defined by a planner type), but it is an outcome which has been reached by a more passionate, impulsive and, dare I say it, instinctive pathway.

So, which are you? If you answer 'yes' to the following, you are definitely a planner rather than a doer:

* do you have a GPS installed in your car?
* when you go to the supermarket, do you have a list?
* prior to your last road trip, did you consult Google maps?
* do you have a calendar which lists all of your family and friends' birthdays?
* if you had to write a letter of complaint or an essay, would you start by listing dot points?
* before a social occasion, do you mentally prepare possible conversation starters?
* when cooking from a recipe, do you take out all required ingredients prior to beginning?
* do you have a cupboard in your home with gifts on hand for as yet unspecified recipients?
* could you tell me what you will be doing in two weeks' time on Saturday morning?

Okay, which are you? Don't be embarrassed! We can't all be the same and who's to say whether it's better to be a planner or a doer. Maybe the results of the test my students sat today will provide me with further insight. Then again, maybe not...

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Monday Mutter

Here I go -
* leftover washing from the weekend still needs folding (at least my ironing lady doesn't pick up until tomorrow!)
* didn't arrive home until dark (good excuse for takeaway though!)
* still cold (but not as cold as last week)
* lots of paperwork to read, sign, return, rsvp to (but no bills - touch wood!)
* only half a glass of wine left in the bottle (better than none at all)
* tired (but not too tired to keep reading my book)

Who am I kidding? If I categorise this as a bad Monday, I haven't got much to complain about, have I?

I hope you had a good Monday!

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Laugh out loud

I'm reading a really funny book at the moment. In fact, this post is by necessity going to be quite short, so that I can get back to it as quickly as possible.

Writers who can make you laugh out loud as you read their book have a very special talent. British comedian, Peter Kay, has achieved this for me with his appropriately titled book, 'The Sound of Laughter'. His stories are so down-to-earth, often self-deprecating and about everyday life. It reached a point a couple of nights ago where I was laughing so much as I was reading that I started to wheeze. It was at about this point also that my husband stopped enjoying my mirth and threatened to send me into another room to continue reading.

It's been quite a while since I've been so entertained by a book. Another writer who had this effect on me was Nick Earls with '48 Shades of Brown'. I can remember my husband coming to check on me when he heard strange noises coming from our bedroom - it was me trying not to laugh too loudly so as not to wake our sleeping children.

I've said it before, I'm not a book snob, and this post proves it. If you want to read a really clever book, this one isn't it. However, if you feel like a laugh, try to get your hands on a copy of 'The Sound of Laughter'.

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