Red Pen

Do you love using a red pen to make corrections?

I do.

I love reviewing drafts, (including my own!), and just finding all kinds of improvements:  sentence structure, grammar tweaks and interjecting some wordsmithing, not to mention correcting spelling errors.

I must be cautious, though, to Review with Respect. Though the other party is expecting me to give my feedback, I use some methods to keep my corrections from being caustic or meddlesome. Here's what I do that helps me keep my review edits within boundaries, acceptable and even appealing.

Color Theory
Though the title is Red Pen, and I do think using a contrasting color is important, I don't think red is appropriate as it connotes a corrective, possibly interpreted as authoritative or even condescending tone. I like to use blue or green. Cool colors are more appealing and non-aggressive. Yes, maybe it seems too high-level to get this technical about what color is used for review markup, but stay with me.

Explain
I like to add notes. The writer may have no idea why I am making a certain correction. In my note I may say, "What do you think?" Conversational tone is critical.

Welcome Addition
My favorite thing to do is to substitute overused words for more interesting words using the Thesaurus. Fresh words enrich and define.

Refrain
The most important review technique I have is to Refrain. I see something I think could be improved on, but I also respect the author, their expertise and their unique style and reason behind what they wrote. So, then my markup is no markup.

My point of all this is not just to share how to do a better review on a draft. Watch me carry this over into Life.

We have interactions every day with all our people groups at home and work that have (often unsolicited but needed) opportunities for review. Here is where the red ink versus the blue ink makes a big difference. Our tone when making a suggestion or giving feedback is huge. Is my idea to add to another person's plan going to be shared in a Red Ink way? I need to do a mental assessment before I open my mouth.

Do I need to Explain my reasoning for my idea or suggestion? Or would that be tedious?

Without possibly even saying a word, how can I perk up, pick up add new life and something that will be a Welcome Addition? How can I take something mundane and part of the daily grind and put a pleasant, refreshing, creative or fun spin on it?

Most of all, do I need to use the Refrain Method? That is the hardest of all sometimes.

Conversations take place all day if I’m dealing with people in any way, and putting extra contemplation into how I craft my “review” of what I hear from others will take some strain out and add richness and produce a better outcome.