Information about  the  Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 seminars will be posted here as it becomes available.  EAC-BC members will also be contacted by e-mail.

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Upcoming Seminars

Plain Language: The Basics, with Peter Moskos - Register here

February 18, 2012
10am-4pm
Room 1505, SFU Harbour Centre

Clear communication is key to good writing. This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of plain language, and teach you how to apply it to your own work. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn to:

• appreciate the need for plain language writing
• recognize writing that needs to be rewritten in plain language
• write materials in plain language using 12 standard plain language techniques

Course materials include "before" and "after" writing samples, explanations of the 12 plain language techniques, and an easy-to-use checklist.

Peter Moskos is a Vancouver based writer, editor and trainer. Before coming to Vancouver, he was the director of writing and editing services for gordongroup, an Ottawa communications company. An accomplished writer and editor, he specializes in plain-language writing—in making unstructured, complex or overwritten materials organized, clear, and easy to follow. Peter has written or edited just about every kind of document produced by the federal government. He has taught plain language to hundreds of public servants and has managed many large-scale publication projects. Peter has been a member of EAC for over 20 years. He was co-chair of the Certification Steering Committee from 2000 to 2004 and served on EAC’s National Executive Council several times. Currently, he is the Chair of EAC’s British Columbia Branch.

Structural + Stylistic = Substantive Editing with Yvonne Van Ruskenveld

March 17, 2012 in Victoria, BC
10am-4pm
Room C108 in the David Strong Building at the University of Victoria

Substantive editing brings order to chaos and breathes life into moribund manuscripts. By reorganizing and revising, you can help authors reach their readers effectively. But facing a disorganized, incomplete (or overstuffed!) manuscript can be daunting. This workshop will discuss techniques for assessing non-fiction manuscripts, identifying problem areas, creating solutions, and working with the author. Whether you edit newsletter articles or full-length books, the strategies and techniques in this workshop can enhance your substantive editing skills.

Yvonne Van Ruskenveld is an experienced editor and writer who enjoys transforming sprawling, jumbled manuscripts into interesting, readable publications. Yvonne has worked both as a freelancer and as managing editor for an educational publisher. Her clients have included publishers large and small, other businesses, governments, a commission of inquiry, non-governmental organizations, and academics. She has worked on manuals, reports, brochures, websites, trade books, and textbooks. Yvonne lives in Victoria and is a member of West Coast Editorial Associates.

Advanced Proofreading, Ruth Wilson

March 24, 2012
10am-4pm
SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Cost: $100 for EAC members who register by March 3, 2012 (after: $120); $160 for non-members who register by March 3, 2012 (after: $180)

This exercise-based seminar focuses on beyond-the-basics proofreading skills. It offers you the opportunity to examine excerpts from complex documents and learn how to fine-tune your proofreading eye to catch every error. Using documents ranging from maps to menus, catalogue pages to journal pages, instructor Ruth Wilson will challenge you to use your judgment to weigh the pros and cons of making changes, querying authors, or making no changes at all.

Time will be spent discussing the process a proofreader must follow when part of a larger production team, and examples of process checklists from various publishers and organizations will be provided.

Prerequisites and materials
This seminar will be helpful to those of you wishing to upgrade your proofreading skills, prepare for job advancement, or study for EAC’s Proofreading Certification test this fall. You should have some proofreading experience and be familiar with conventional mark-up. Course material will be supplied, but you should bring a current dictionary, pencils and pens, and a ruler or other measure that you now use on the job.

About the instructor

Ruth Wilson has more than 25 years’ experience editing and proofreading trade books, professional journals, association publications, and corporate materials. She worked for many years with Vancouver book publisher Self-Counsel Press, but in 1997 she decided to spread her wings as an independent consultant. She is now a partner in West Coast Editorial Associates. Ruth is also a respected instructor in the Writing and Communications Program and the Summer Publishing Workshops at SFU, where she teaches proofreading, editing, and plain language skills. She has also served on several national committees of EAC. In 2011, she was honoured as a recipient of EAC’s President’s Award for Volunteer Service.

Picture Research, Mary Rose MacLachlan and Derek Capitaine (MRM Associates)

April 21, 2012
1pm-4pm

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Past Seminars 2011-2012

Eight-Step Editing, with Jim Taylor
January 21, 2012 - Using a step-by-step process, the program identifies the most common factors that become obstacles for readers. It not only helps recognize the problems, it shows quick and simple techniques for fixing them. Eight-Step Editing helps professional editors ensure they haven’t overlooked some crucial readability factor in their zeal to track down spelling or punctuation inconsistencies, and gives novice editors a starting point that doesn’t depend on subjective assessments of a manuscript’s worth.

The Secrets of Syntax with Frances Peck
October 8, 2011 - This seminar looks at syntax from various angles, including how to shape it for different documents and readers. Topics covered include subordination and coordination, periodic versus cumulative sentences, proximity of subject and verb, echo words, and special techniques such as ellipsis and isolation.

Writing and Editing for the Web with Lisa Manfield
September 10, 2011  - This course will introduce you to a range of skills needed by interactive writers and editors, including content research and development, search engine optimization, adapting print materials for the web, and understanding Web 2.0. 

Past Seminars 2010-2011

Always Pity the Poor Reader: Copy Editing 101 with Rob Dykstra
May 14, 2011 - This workshop will provide participants with an overview of the copy editing function, the process, and a hands-on editing experience involving common problems, errors and pitfalls. It is designed for those who want to embark on a copy editing career, or as a refresher for those who have limited experience in the field. 

Grammar Fundamentals with Frances Peck
March 12, 2011 - Whether your aim is to plug educational holes, to better apply the rules of grammar, or to impress your clients and colleagues, this seminar will cover all the grammatical terms and structures you need to know. So bring your pencils and prepare to parse.

Edting Narrative with Mary Schendlinger
February 12, 2011 - Participants will learn tips and techniques for evaluating a narrative – the big picture and the small picture – and for working effectively with the writer as she goes back in to fix it.

What s the Real Job of a Technical Editor? with Jason Hall
November 27, 2010 - If the job of the technical editor is to make complex subjects accessible to normal people, why is it that so many technical documents fail. What is the real job of a technical editor?

Start Your Own Editing Business with Cerina Wheatland
Saturday October 23, 2010 - Come to this seminar and learn how to survive and thrive as a small business in the writing and editing industry.

Creating & Editing Social Content with The Book Broads
Saturday September 25, 2010 - Shift happens. Shifts in media can mean fewer opportunities for editors. It is a known fact that there are fewer traditionally published books, newspapers are publishing less and less content, and magazines are also changing. The question is - when the shift hits the fan... where are the new opportunities for street-smart Editors? The answer is technology.

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