Author: Marianne Grier

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A Day in the Life of a Communications Manager: Marianne Grier

June 1, 2021 by Marianne Grier | Leave a Comment

Writing and editing career paths can take many directions. In this new “day-in-the-life” series, experienced professionals share their personal experiences and various roles related to writing, editing and communications. If you’re interested in writing a post for this series, please email The Editors’ Weekly. What is your job? I’m an operations manager for communication and […]

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The Times They Are A-Changin’

October 13, 2020 by Marianne Grier | 2 Comments on The Times They Are A-Changin’

My parents recently sold our family home. Perched on a hill in a small Nova Scotia town, the house was the backdrop to my childhood and school years. While I hadn’t lived there for ages, it was the place I always went back to. I could navigate my way in the dark, identify family members’ […]

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My COVID-19 Life Edit

May 19, 2020 by Marianne Grier | 11 Comments on My COVID-19 Life Edit

Since COVID-19 came to B.C., I’ve gone through an involuntary life edit. Things have proceeded like any full edit (though let’s skip the proofread for now, shall we?). The first changes were sweeping, dramatic and structural as we paused daycare, moved to working mostly from home and navigating meetings around a toddler, and stopped frequenting […]

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Asking for Help: Lessons from Toddlerhood

March 3, 2020 by Marianne Grier | 3 Comments on Asking for Help: Lessons from Toddlerhood

My two-and-a-half-year-old daughter has been asking for help since the day she was born. She first expressed herself, as babies do, with simple cries that left much to interpretation. Her expressions progressed from “Help!” to “Mama, please could you help me with ___.” While she clearly values doing certain things by herself, she has never […]

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Editing and the Art of Ikea Furniture Building

October 15, 2019 by Marianne Grier | 4 Comments on Editing and the Art of Ikea Furniture Building

A recent move left my husband and me needing new furniture. Armed with an Ikea gift card, we chose some pieces online. Six flat-packs of furniture arrived a few weeks later, and we got cracking on assembly. As we pieced the furniture together slat by slat, dowel by dowel, I simultaneously felt we were making […]

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Lessons from the Big Buddha

August 6, 2019 by Marianne Grier | 2 Comments on Lessons from the Big Buddha

A recent family adventure took me to Phuket’s Big Buddha. As the name suggests, this marvel is a giant Buddha stretching 45 metres into the sky, overlooking the Andaman Sea. One of the top tourist sites on the island, the Buddha sits peacefully on his mountaintop, his white Burmese jade marble body glinting in the sun. […]

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Editing: An Essentialist Craft?

April 30, 2019 by Marianne Grier | 2 Comments on Editing: An Essentialist Craft?

The new “essentialism” is having a moment. While many of us have been trying to cram in more — to fill every unfilled moment so that we’re more productive — some are starting to scale things back. To amble through life more slowly, focus on what’s important, take time to breathe. The new year brought […]

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Google as the Editor

January 22, 2019 by Marianne Grier | 6 Comments on Google as the Editor

If you’re a Gmail user, you may have adopted its new Smart Compose feature. This perplexing time-saver has made me question the future of communications since it appeared in my inbox. Smart Compose uses machine learning to help users write faster, clearer emails by anticipating what they’re trying to say and suggesting text they can […]

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Pink, Blue and the Singular “They”

October 16, 2018 by Marianne Grier | 14 Comments on Pink, Blue and the Singular “They”

I was a late adopter of the singular “they,” once thinking its usage was down to laziness or ignorance. I’ve recently changed my tune. The singular “they” helps streamline sentences, is considerate of those who don’t identify with a gender, and can help avoid the gender-charged language that can be our default. This last strength […]

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Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

July 24, 2018 by Marianne Grier | 1 Comment on Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Earlier this year, we had a bed bug scare. I woke up the morning of our first international flight with baby to a smattering of red bumps on my leg. The following afternoon, as the edgy haze of jet lag settled in, I noticed how itchy my leg had grown. As I wondered about possible […]

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Eating Frogs and the Tomato Technique: The Art of Getting Things Done

May 1, 2018 by Marianne Grier | 6 Comments on Eating Frogs and the Tomato Technique: The Art of Getting Things Done

There are many ways to get things done. Given the nature of our work, productivity is crucial for editors; many of us grapple with multiple projects in fluid, distraction-filled environments. The passage of time and how to manage it has preoccupied me since the arrival of my daughter, as I’ve struggled to get things done […]

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Learning Baby Talk

March 6, 2018 by Marianne Grier | Leave a Comment

As editors, we rely more than most on our communication skills. Whether we’re conversing with clients, sharing knowledge within the editing community or sculpting a client’s words to help them shine their brightest, our communication skills impact the success of our work and relationships. Nearly all the time, we use these skills in tandem with […]

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Comfort Zones

November 14, 2017 by Marianne Grier | 7 Comments on Comfort Zones

This past August, the much-anticipated arrival of my Chicago Manual of Style v. 17 was overshadowed by the arrival of my first child. My due-in-September baby decided she was more Leo than Virgo, and made her appearance in the world a month early. Her little body wasn’t quite prepared for the outside world, and we […]

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Swapping Snacks From the Editor’s Lunch Box

August 29, 2017 by Marianne Grier | 4 Comments on Swapping Snacks From the Editor’s Lunch Box

I’ve always found new beginnings deliciously appealing. Whether it’s starting a fresh crossword puzzle, trying a new recipe or signing up for a class, I love the excitement of a new endeavour and wonder what I might learn along the way. As a school student, I wasn’t always keen to get back to class at […]

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Home Is Where the Bagel Is

June 27, 2017 by Marianne Grier | 9 Comments on Home Is Where the Bagel Is

What do you mean when you say the word “home”? Amongst other definitions, the Canadian Oxford Dictionary (2nd ed.) defines “home” as “the place where one lives,” “a house or dwelling place” or “the place where a thing originates or is native or most common.”  As someone with nomadic tendencies, these definitions have often clashed […]

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German Lessons With Mrs. Cheese

April 4, 2017 by Marianne Grier | 9 Comments on German Lessons With Mrs. Cheese

At the feisty age of 16, I was given an opportunity to study in Switzerland to improve my French language skills. After committing, I found out that the only exchange spot was in Bern, the country’s German-speaking capital. My teenage determination told me I could learn the language quickly enough to complete my school year […]

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Eggplants and Aubergines

January 17, 2017 by Marianne Grier | 12 Comments on Eggplants and Aubergines

Before leaving Canada, I had a solid grasp on Canadian English. I knew there were differences between British and American English, and my language differed from both of these. Beyond that, I didn’t give Canadian English much thought. After finishing my BA, I ventured to Germany to teach in sleepy Uelzen, a village known for […]

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