#RedPen: Proofreading Tool or a Bully?

Earlier this month I wrote a post about Red Pen Syndrome. To keep that discussion going, here are tweets that prove red pen lovers still exist:

@Paige_LA: I truly am a #GrammarSnob…I just can’t help it. I love my #RedPen.

@mrsmeghamby: Pretty sure there is no writing utensil I love more. Hated it in English class, love it now. #redpen

@cwoj620: Writing all of my note cards in #RedPen because it makes me feel more powerful #Nerd

Do you think red ink is offensive, or do you love red pens? For more tips and to talk about grammar and proofreading, join the National Proofreading Day LinkedIn Group! I’ll see you there.

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro

Founder of National Proofreading Day

Red Pens: Proofreading Gone Bad?

Who said you can’t use red pens? Have you heard parents want to ban red ink for grading? What do you think? Were you stressed out by the comments in red ink from your school days? Urban Dictionary has defined two types of red pen conditions:

Red Pen Syndrome: “The sufferers of this syndrome have an irrepressible urge to correct any and all grammar mistakes that come within their sight. At times this can be helpful, but at other times, it can be downright inappropriate and mean.”

RedPen Police: “People who preoccupy themselves with correcting the spelling and grammar of others - normally out of some self-esteem issue or desire to prove some value from their otherwise useless thirty-grand education. (November 9, 2012 Urban Word of the Day)”

Are you offended by or proud of these definitions? Do you have “an irrepressible urge to correct any and all grammar mistakes” that come within your sight? For those of us who do, are we doing it for the right reasons?

John Berman, host of CNN’s “Early Start,” told a story on air about a buddy of his who received a rejection letter from Princeton; his friend returned the letter with corrections. Perhaps a case of sweet revenge? I hope he used a red pen!

Someone I met told me an incident about her friend who returned her three-year-old daughter’s pre-school application with corrections in red ink. As she gave the application to the clerk, she said, “Sorry.” Do you think she did anything wrong?

Be careful, though; there may be a consequence to your critical eye. Have you heard of Muphry’s Law? Did you think I meant Murphy’s Law? Certainly, that’s what I thought when I saw Muphry’s Law in an e-mail subject line.

“Muphry's Law is the editorial application of the better-known Murphy's Law. Muphry's Law dictates that if you write anything criticizing another person's editing or proofreading, you will inevitably make a mistake of your own. Note that by definition, pointing out an example of Muphry's Law makes you in turn subject to it.”

Hmmm. I think I'll keep using my red pen because I can’t stop my passion for helping people to communicate better. Would you like to confess a Red Pen Syndrome moment? 

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro

Founder of National Proofreading Day

These Are a Few of My Favorite Proofreading Things

As a child, how did you get ready for the new school year? Buying new pens, pencils, notebooks, and erasers? I still love buying supplies! What about you? Do you still get that urge to buy new office products in the fall? 

This month we’ll be talking about proofreading resources and supplies. The world has changed. Do you remember the round eraser wheel with the brush? My grandmother told me about them! Ha!

As a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher, so I could grade papers with a red pen. My dream has come true! Ask my students. Nowadays, parents want to ban red pens. I think red pens are a helpful proofreading tool because it’s easy to see the corrections, not that I don’t love purple pens, too.

Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson, the authors of The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time, have a mission to correct errors on signs across the country. The correction kit for their journey included “a variety of Sharpies, of which ‘the black Sharpie was the most important.’ Deck also carried Wite-Out, dry erase markers, chalk, crayons and pens.”

We have so many tools to make proofreading easier, so take advantage—red pens, erasers, correction tape, correction fluid, dictionaries, proofreading symbols, grammar books, professional proofreaders, spell checkers, and grammar checkers. I’ll take one of everything please!

Have I missed any resources? What’s your favorite proofreading tool? Can you pick only one?

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day