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From a Writer’s Point of View

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As a writer, it’s important to me to create the best possible work I can. In order to do that, I need an objective pair of eyes to comb through the manuscript, picking out character agency, weak plot points, and grammar. There are methods for doing this yourself, but I don’t recommend it, as you may overlook details (or lack thereof) that someone else will find.

When going over your editor’s notes, make sure you have that important tool – coffee.

Whether it’s a novel, a script or a short story, every writer will create a not-so-great first draft. In order to shape it into something better, a writer then turns to an editor for assistance. In some cases, an editor can help with a story that has stalled out half way through.

When I was working on my current novel, I stalled out in the middle. I’d already cannibalized a short story into the novel, which gave it layers I hadn’t expected. However, I had no sense of what was going to happen next. There were a couple of scenes written out, but I had no idea of where to put them, and no clear, definitive, final wrap-up to the story.

I was stuck, in the truest sense of the word. I needed help. So I found an editor who helped to jump-start a new direction for the Narrator and the story itself. In two five-hour editing sessions, I had gotten past the block and found myself at the story’s end.

How did this happen? I set aside my ego and listened to what my editor had to say. There were points I didn’t necessarily agree with, which pushed me to find a way to make those points work within the story. If I was successful, they stayed in – if not, I ultimately took them out. It was a difficult thing to do, excising portions of my novel (particularly if it was a character I liked), but that’s what the sequel is for. [1]

Ultimately, as a writer, if I want my work to improve, I need to pay attention to my editor, who also acts as my mentor. The relationship between an editor and a writer is symbiotic – when the two click, the work is a joy (even if it’s still frustrating). When it doesn’t, thank the editor for their time and effort and look for someone with whom you can develop a long, professional relationship with.

Every experience with an editor, even one that doesn’t work out, is a positive one – it helps you focus on your work, your voice and your goal.

That goal? To hone your craft and create your best work.

A blank page is both exciting and terrifying.
Where will that first word lead?

[1] The character in question went through nine name changes and switched nationalities – if he hadn’t been so endearing, I’d have written him off long ago.

Choose Your Words Wisely

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When beginning his next novel, Stephen King will spend weeks, if not months, on perfecting the story’s opening sentence.  He does this to find that particular invitation readers will find too tempting to pass up.  When he has that perfect opening sentence, the rest of the story flows.

To craft that opening line, which establishes character and setting, you need to have something that hooks the reader.  To do that,  you need to find the right words to unlock the idea you’ve been haunted by into something larger.

Speaking of haunted – here’s an example of a gripping opening line by the incomparable Shirley Jackson:

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. [1]

Immediately following that sentence is the introduction of Hill House, reputedly haunted, not lived in and still kept in pristine order by a couple from the local village.  Each sentence builds on the next and you are drawn into the lives of four people, determined to prove that Hill House is haunted.  Although it averages two hundred or so pages, it is tightly constructed, spare and ambiguous, leaving you wondering – is Hill House haunted or is it all a figment of Eleanor’s mind?

And neatly tying it all together, the final sentence of the novel echoes the final sentence of the opening paragraph – and whatever walked there, walked alone.

[1] The Haunting of Hill House (1959)

(The annotation below is brilliant.)

View at Medium.com

A Sample Edit (Web Page)

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In this post, I’ll be demonstrating a before and after of a sample text from the About page of a restaurant.
After examining several other pages for a similar type of business, I decided to use this mock-up version:
The Blue Suede Shoe Bar is an environment for enjoying peaceful conversations either inside, or, on the patio, while enjoying our food offerings and sipping on excellent wines, ports, beers, and/or spirits.  Our wine list has been carefully crafted to provide excellent wines at reasonable prices.  Our list features a mix of ‘by the glass’ and ‘by the bottle’ reds.  All of our delicious whites are ‘by the glass’.  Many are wines that one can find nowhere else except the vineyard itself! Expect to taste great wine.
We offer fantastic music six nights each week with a focus on quality singer-songwriters, duos, and the occasional trio, the musical entertainment is designed to enhance your enjoyment of those you are with but not overwhelm it (having said that, we do occasionally let the hair down and bring in a band that ‘cranks it out’!).  Music is usually performed from 8:30pm-10:30pm Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  On Mondays and Sundays music is typically 6:30pm-8:30pm.  Thursdays are an eclectic mix of music and spoken word (please call to discover what is scheduled for ‘your’ Thursday!).  The spoken word will be called Blue Suede Shoe Tales. This will be true life, first person story-telling. Working in conjunction with a local and the wildly successful Storytelling Festival we will provide an environment in which to perfect the art.
Something a little bit special in downtown, we hope that you come and enjoy this ‘Casually Elegant’ space.

The above example is giving a lot of good and detailed information of what is offered at this restaurant, but it is broadly written.  This can easily be too overwhelming for a potential customer, who may be quickly scanning the web for a place to eat.  In many cases, the customer would skip over that site and go on to the next one.

Simplicity is best.

Taking the same information, I’ve distilled and presented it this way:
Located downtown, the Blue Suede Shoe is the hot-spot for good food, excellent wines and local and guest musicians to display their talents.
From Wednesday to Sunday, the piano keys are tickled in time with guitar and drums, bringing original songs and covers from other bands.
Tuesdays are reserved for trivia, wherein knowledge of the minutiae is a highly coveted skill.  For each round won, a team of six receives free shots made specifically for the game.  At the end, the winning team of the game overall are served a fruit and cheese platter with chocolate cake.
Outdoor patio seating provides a lovely ambiance for dinner and drinks.  The wines are carefully selected by the owner from California wineries.  There are a mixture of wines available sold by the glass or by the bottle and, whichever you choose, you won’t be disappointed.  A cocktail list is currently being revised, to accompany the standard choices.
For an eclectic and casually elegant dining experience, the Blue Suede Shoe Bar is that something a little bit special you might be looking for.

See the difference?  The same information, presented differently, creates two very different pictures of the same restaurant.

An Editor’s Tale

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Earlier this year, in a conversation I had with a potential client, we were discussing the details of what they were expecting from me regarding their manuscript.  When it was indicated that they were planning to self-publish their novel, I asked about the time frame and was startled to hear them say six weeks from our initial consult.  They also indicated that editing was the last thing needed before they went forward with it.

This raised several red flags for me, but I’m only going to take the time to discuss two of them, as they are pertinent to editing.

First, that they wanted to publish it within six weeks of the initial consult.  This makes the editor’s job harder to do.  Why?  Because editing is a process – the editor combs through the manuscript, making notes for the writer to help create a stronger piece.  Then the manuscript is sent back to the writer, who needs to go through and incorporate the notes given.  This process occurs multiple times, until the editor deems it polished and ready to send out.

Creating a tight deadline of six weeks is only setting up everyone involved for failure and that was the second red flag.  This puts stress on the editor, who is working hard to give clear and concise notes on what can be improved.  It also puts stress on the writer, who may begin to feel resentment towards the editor.  This can cause relations between the two to grow tense and unprofessional, a situation that is undesirable.  A deadline is good to have, as long as it is realistic and achievable, but it helps to be flexible.

Going back to my potential client, I was able to convey the problems with this, offered a few suggestions in the meantime and, with respect, had to turn it down.  Will they come back to me later on, with a more reasonable deadline?  Maybe.  I’d like to think so, since I was able to give them something to work with.

In the end, I had to go with being honest and respectful of their work and my time.  I’d rather lose work that way than create a hostile situation where no one wins.