10 Reasons Lynnae Is Destined to Be an Editor

I figured it's about time I jotted these down, since I encounter at least one of them every day as further proof that editing is in my blood.

1. I can talk for hours about anything English/Editing-related -- as evidenced by the fact that I talked my boyfriend's ear off last night about the history of the English language and where we got a lot of our words. Incidentally, most of them are from French because in 1066, when William the Conqueror... uh, conquered... England, he brought his countrymen to settle in England and installed them as the ruling class and... right. You didn't want that history lesson. I rest my case. 
2. I like writing papers -- remember that story about how I complained that my research paper was too short and I needed more time and space to do the paper justice? Yeah. Not an exaggeration. Ask my roommates. 
3. I love taking tests in my major -- no joke. I went to the Testing Center (which was eerily quiet and more than a little creepy, by the way -- yay Spring Term) yesterday for my first exam in my Basic Editing Skills class and was actually a little sad when I finished the test. Sick and wrong? Maybe. Do I care? Definitely not. But honestly, when you're an editor and you're planning on proofreading, spell-checking, and looking for grammatical errors for the rest of your life, taking a test on it is just an extension of your livelihood and you get a (free) grade for it.
4. I got the Chicago Manual of Style and I actually like studying it -- this one freaks me out. I was raised with "Chicago" being muttered in dark and mutinous tones by every writer around me. So I got used to doing it, too. Then I had to buy the dang thing. It's garishly orange, heavy as a brick, and guess what? It may or may not be my favorite reference book ever (and we're not even going to go into the fact that I have a favorite reference book to begin with). 
5. My book list has gone from normal books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to... grammar books? -- so I was in class yesterday and my professor was talking about this book on punctuation called Eats, Shoots, and Leaves and I made a mental note to look into buying it sometime soon. I might even put it on my Christmas wishlist. And this isn't the only time. My ears always perk up when I hear someone talking about a good grammar book. 
6. I edit my own speech... as I'm talking -- I never edit anyone else's. Unless it's really hilarious and I know them well enough to be sure they don't mind. But I edit mine all the time. I'll say something and then suddenly add, "Sorry, that was redundant" or "whoops, those weren't parallel" which usually gets me a weird look from whoever I was talking to.
7. I have an obsession, if you will, with pens -- I really do. I have various different colors and styles and I know which tip size I like best (0.55, if you're wondering) as well as my preferred brand. And yes, I do miss my pens when they get lost. I've been known to tear my room apart looking for a pen with the same urgency that I'd use looking for my missing wallet (which, incidentally, is still missing. But all my pens are accounted for! ^_^)
8. I frequently parse my own sentences as I'm writing -- thanks to my grammar class last semester (which, yes, I did enjoy), I am now able to identify infinitive phrases used nominally as the object of a preposition AND diagram it correctly, all in my head. As I write. Or when I'm reading. When I come across a sentence that stands out, I draw a diagram of it in my head to see how the pieces fit together. Or I'll just be like, "Hey! A gerund used as a subject!" I know. It freaks me out sometimes too.
9. I have dictionary.com as one of my homepages when my browser pops up, and I dream of someday owning the complete Oxford English Dictionary -- Really. No further explanation needed.
10. My friends have an affectionate nickname for me: Pocket Lynnae -- as in, "pocket dictionary." I still have a note between two of my friends after a guy had used the word "esoteric" that reads as follows:

"Esoteric?"

"Ask Lynnae."

At which point they passed me the note. I read, laughed, and then replied with:

Sort of abstract; unintelligible to most people, frequently associated with only being interesting to a few "in the know" people. For example, the subject of entomology (bugs) is considered esoteric. *side note: usually highly academic.

It looks like a dictionary entry. Written without a dictionary in sight. Came right off the top of my head. They laughed the whole time I was writing. Pocket Lynnae. I even have my own action figure, courtesy of my roommate Savannah.

I once remember watching "The Yellow Submarine" movie. You know the one. By the Beatles? Well, I felt like I was on an acid trip and wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it, but my roommate Janell said, "I love this movie! It looks like my SOUL!" (You know what, I believed her -- not saying that she's a druggie or anything. But she's just quirky and different and I love her for it) I feel the same way about editing. It looks like my soul. Which.... could be interesting to explore in more depth. Hm. Perhaps some other time. Because waxing metaphorical would be a little much in light of my already overwhelming English-nerdiness at the moment. :)