Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh, modify where it is too absolute.
I was a Kannada journalist and had worked in 'Samyukta Karnataka' newspaper as a proofreader.
Whenever I write lyrics and an Americanism slips in, I always cut it straight out. I can't use the word 'babe,' for instance. It makes me cringe.
I like editing. Generally, you work under the assumption that everything can be shorter. I like to see if I can reconstruct a sentence. I find that enjoyable work.
We are so used to not having kids around [on Twilight] that we had to really make an effort to try and edit our language.
I hate editors, for they make me abandon a lot of perfectly good English words.
