Gaining new energy

I was the only participant to hear CQS alumna and Baltimore Sun copy editor Faith Karimi and I enjoyed my time with her because it was unlike any previous conversation I've had with professional copy editors. Talking about copy editing can get dry at times, but Karimi kept our session fresh by offering a human element. Before we discussed ethics or pored over sample sentences, we touched on how easy it is for us editors to feel burned out on the day-to-day routine of reading copy and writing haiku-like headlines. I told her my level of concentration had been worn down to a nub after a year of copy editing three to four nights a week, and I was worried that my fatigue would carry over to the Poughkeepsie Journal. She shared that she had been in a similar situation a few months ago.

"What did you do to re-energize yourself?" I asked.

Karimi said she moved to the sports copy desk and immersed herself in the world of scores and game rules. Occasionally getting out of one's comfort zone and learning new things is key, she said.

We'll all be getting out of our comfort zone soon, and I think the work we'll do this summer will be far from fatiguing.