Edits

This is me, just about every night. I'd include the picture of my phone (used to look up obscure vocabulary), but it's hard to use a phone to take a picture of a phone--ironically, cell phones don't do selfies of themselves :)

Here's what you're looking at:

1. A book, that I really enjoy, that I need to edit for language, moral structure, and inappropriate situations. Now, not all of these things get blacked out by the (2.) Sharpie you see in the middle.

3. Some get sticky notes from the plastic bag above (which also contains chapstick and a variety of book marks). These sticky notes might explain a Biblical principle being upheld or disregarded. They might give a historical context or point to a specific Bible verse that addresses the situation. They might just express my feelings on the subject--"Ew!" "Ummm, not cool." "Wha?!"

The sticky notes are semi permanent. For large patches of edits, I mosaic them on a page and then use the (4.) tape to stick the edges down. Could the kids still peek? Of course. Do they? I hope not. I add my version of what's underneath in summary form on the sticky note. It moves the story along :) Some stuff is just crappy and shouldn't be in there--it doesn't help the story, it doesn't advance the plot, it's just poop on a page--I should add a roll of toilet paper to my kit :)

5.The scissors are to cut the sticky notes that I write notes on to fit the edges of very narrow page margins. This can be tricky, scissors are my friend.

6. Pencil--the pencil comes in when I'm enjoying the story and don't want to stop to edit. It also comes in handy when I'm reading on the treadmill. I just scratch a nice pencil line through a word or phrase I dislike or put a star with a quick note of something I might like to add to a section. Later, I go back with my Sharpie and my sticky notes and fix everything up! On rare occasions I'll pull out the (not pictured) stapler and just seal off a section completely. This occurs less frequently so it didn't get photo props. Oh and in case you're wondering, the Sharpie, the tape, and the stapler are reserved only for books we've purchased. I'm guessing the library would frown on my edititing *assistance* with their collection, ha!