Leadership
My Process
- At the beginning of every cycle, we hold a brainstorming session where staff members suggest article ideas and possible angles to explore.
- Sometimes, I am assigned as a mentor to writers who may need guidance as they develop their stories. I meet with these individuals after article assignments are given. If a staff member needs help finding an angle for their story, I offer guidance on that as well.
- The first week of the cycle is reserved for interviews. If a staff member needs help developing interview questions or setting up an interview, I can review their questions or shadow them during the interview.
- Rough drafts are due a few weeks after assignments are given. While copy editors primarily review these, I also provide feedback and edits.
- Second drafts are due the week after rough drafts. These should be nearly finalized. I use a checklist of criteria to ensure second drafts are complete.
- Final drafts are due on grind night when the entire staff meets to finalize the paper. During this time, I sit down with staff members to review their articles. After reading, we discuss what they did well and identify areas for improvement moving forward.
- Editor grind night takes place the day after grind night. This is when all articles are placed in the paper, and I read through the entire issue one last time to ensure everything is correct. Here’s what a page looks like after I’ve finished adding corrections!
Checklists and other resources can be found in my “New Writers Handbook.” I created this for new writers to reference while they move through their first cycle.
Testimonials
What separates a good editor from a great editor is their ability to take a good article to a great article. I wrote a lot of good articles that Holyn Walsh made into great articles. There were a number of times when I would reach my preliminary deadline and my article was in a bad state, Holyn was even able to make those into great articles. Beyond her skill as an editor her management skills were some of the best, when we as a staff would brainstorm story ideas, no one was better at corralling the room to be sure to be on topic. In that same court she was always able to shake off any setbacks, whenever there was an issue, she was always on top of it, she never surrendered to the madness. I am not sure whether expertise in the industry or general management skill is more important in a leader, either way Holyn has heaps of both. In my personal opinion she is far and away the best editor I could have asked for in high school.
– Joe Powers
Holyn is the best editor in chief I could ask for. She helps each writer every step of the cycle. Every grind night she is the first one there and last one to leave. Her advice is always helpful and not negative. We are very lucky to have her!
– Olin Moyer
I know Holyn as an editor in chief, and a captain on my swim team, and she brings so much energy to both. She communicates with staff members to ensure every article is clear and engaging. She has a strong sense of leadership and can bring out the best in her team.
– Martha Stathopoulos
Holyn is the most helpful editor. She will drop everything to help anyone at any stage in their writing. I’ve seen her pause her own work to sit down with people and work on their stories until they feel good about them.
– Charlie Conlin
Holyn is someone I can go to no matter what I need and I’ll know she’ll have the perfect idea or suggestion for me. She’s not afraid to offer her expertise to make you better, but also makes sure to acknowledge and highlight your strong areas. No matter the skill level or position, Holyn is willing to work with whoever, whenever, to get them to where they need and want to be. Her work within our publication is evident in the stories we write, the relationships that have been created and nurtured among staff, and the fun we have every single day in class.
– Belle Potter
