Over the course of my editing career, I’ve had several clients say they absolutely hate me. They keep paying me, for some inexplicable reason, but they keep hating me nonetheless. I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t me, it’s the four-letter word that they hate: EDIT.
Admit it; you hate it, too. You’ve just finished your beautiful, 300-page novel, and along comes some know-it-all editor who wants to cut your lovely prose down to 250 or even, God forbid, 200 pages! Doesn’t she know how HARD you’ve sweated to find the perfect turn of phrase, the perfect set of sentences that all string together like dazzling pearls adorning Athena’s neck?
First-time authors, particularly, often find themselves loath to accept an editor’s advice. They receive their manuscript back hoping for (actually EXPECTING, but they’re too modest to use that word) joyous praise. Instead, they get a redlined shell in return.
What do you do? First, you cry. That’s a given, unless you’re a tough, 6’4” football player. They don’t cry... okay, yeah, them too. After the good cry comes the fury and the angry retorts. “If she were any good at her profession, she would have deciphered the nuances that I tied together throughout the book. She would have understood what I was aiming to achieve, like any NORMAL reader would have! Instead, she’s destroyed half my punch lines and two thirds of my buildup to the grand finale. Doesn’t she realize how impor-tant those were? She’s obviously BRAIN DEAD.
What happens after the fury? If you’re lucky, you haven’t yet written your editor, to tell her that she’s a complete moron. If you aren’t lucky, don’t send that sheepish apology just yet, and don’t worry about it. She’s heard it all before and she knows you didn’t mean it. (Well, okay, maybe a few clients do, but she never hears from them again. Once you write back, believe me, she’ll understand. For now, just wait.)
The next step is to have someone else read the new version. It could be a friend, a lover, a spouse. See what they think. If they’ve slogged through the first version, pay attention to what they say about this one. If you’re obviously upset, they’ll probably mollify you with, “Well, I can see that she’s left out a lot of GREAT stuff, but actually, this isn’t as bad as you think.” If you manage to veil your anger, they’ll probably show a great deal more enthusiasm, such as, “Wow, that really rocks!”
Once you’ve received that feedback, no matter how much you disagree with it (yeah, I know; you’re still angry), then set your manuscript aside for 3-4 days. I would say a week or two, but I know darned well you won’t last that long. I couldn’t, either. After those few days, try to “whitespace,” to clear your mind of the old version and let go of all the things that are no longer in the book. If you can’t do that, wait until you can, at least somewhat.
When you finally muster the courage to bid a fond adieu to those missing pages, read through the book from start to finish with new eyes and an open mind. Think of yourself as a busy, harried mother with work and kids and limited time to enjoy a novel. Does this version move along at a faster clip and get to the point more succinctly? Do you understand the characters, the plot, the objective as well as you did before, and it is still enjoyable and read-worthy?
The most important thing for new authors to remember is that taking 10 sentences to say what you can say in two is never a good idea, unless you add truly spectacular visual imagery, or vital plot and character enhancement. When I say, “vital,” or “spectacular,” I’m not talking about, “She walked into the beautiful, opulent and gorgeous red doors that stood seven feet high by five feet wide, with solid hardwood three inches thick and great insulation from the sounds within, and entered the great hall.” Rather, I’m talking about, “She walked through the massive crimson doors, astonished by their myriad carved flourishes, and entered the great hall.” In half the words, you convey more and tire the reader less. No reader will ever care whether the door was seven feet or eight feet high. They hear the word “massive” and that’s enough.
Don’t read your old version again right away. Let it fade into oblivion for at least a month and read the new version on “final draft” mode so that you aren’t distracted by what your old manuscript once held. After you’ve spent a month warming up to the new version, then go back to the old, pre-edited one (not the markup but the totally original one) and read it from start to finish, or at least for several hours without stopping. This is when you’ll discover, “Oh, gee, was I really that long-winded? Readers will tire of this excess!”
Once you get to that point, it’s time for the sheepish apology. It needn’t be long or heartfelt, but rather a quick, “You know when I called you a brain dead moron last month? I told you I never wanted to hear your name again, and that you must have gotten your editing expertise in the third grade? Uh, can we just forget that whole thing and start from scratch?”
Trust me, your editor will have a smile on her face and put the whole incident behind her, and so should you... until the next time you need to employ that “dirty” word! As you gain expertise in the writing process, those incidents will happen less and less, and soon, you will learn to welcome your old friend, EDIT! :)
Kathleen Cook wrote and edited self-help and educational articles for a major publisher before launching Brighter Stars Editing Services. The author of several books, Katy studied journalism at Rio Salado in the 1970s and now offers her talents to both new and experienced authors. She enjoys seeing new writers succeed and provides extensive comments and advice on all phases of the writing and publishing process.
The mother of four grown children, Katy enjoys parenting, reading, gardening, organic cooking, and perpetual education in subjects from Stonehenge to Python. Her areas of expertise include memoirs, historical fiction and nonfiction, spirituality (Christian, Buddhist and Pagan), mystery, and sci-fi/fantasy. Ask about her introductory special from Brighter Stars Editing Services
from Arizona Authors Association http://ift.tt/1TAwCwc
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment