Archive for the ‘Editing’ Category
Dora Machado’s Guest Blog — “What an Editor Can Do for You”
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about four current titles available from Twilight Times Books (TTB for short) — The Curse Giver by Dora Machado, Don’t Let the Wind Catch You by Aaron Paul Lazar, Lucid by Natalie Roers and Dina von Lowenkraft’s Dragon Fire. I worked on three of those four titles, and said so. But I was proudest of the work I did for Dora Machado’s The Curse Giver.
When I received The Curse Giver from TTB’s publisher Lida Quillen, I quickly recognized that much of the book was very good. Some of it was exceptional. But there was a problem at the beginning of the book that might’ve stopped a reader cold from understanding that the hero of the story, Brennus, is actually a good guy. (Suffice it to say that Brennus does many things he’d rather not do for the best of reasons.) Ms. Quillen wanted me to see what I could do to help Ms. Machado’s book, and gave me ample time to think about it.
Anyway, I edited Dora Machado’s book and suggested a number of things at the beginning that I thought might help in addition to the usual comments as regards to copy-editing and consistency-reading. I made so many comments at the beginning that I was a little worried that Ms. Machado would get upset, even though I also pointed out where I thought the story worked particularly well to balance things out. (Unless I’m really pressed for time, I always do this. A writer needs to know that her editor understands her book.)
Fortunately for me, Dora Machado did understand, and was appreciative of my efforts. She thanked me publicly in her book for helping her — those of you who are editors know how rare that is. Then, she asked if she could write a guest blog discussing the editorial process from a writer’s perspective, discussing her experiences with me in specific, and I said, “Sure.”
I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I did, even though I blushed to read some of it.
So without further ado . . . let’s bring on the guest blog!
*********** Guest Post Separator ***********
What An Editor Can Do For You . . . If You Let Her
By
Dora Machado
When it comes to editors, I haven’t always a believer. As a writer, part of me assumed that if you needed an editor, you weren’t ready for prime time. The smarter part of me suspected that the cocky part of me was being—well—cocky. So a few years back, I decided to challenge my assumptions and hired an editor to review my manuscript prior to submission. Wow. The mind-blowing, eye-opening experience resulted in the award-winning Stonewiser series. I realized that, no matter how well you write, every author can benefit from having an editor, and a qualified, experienced, insightful editor can impact both a story and an author in profound and lasting ways.
Of course, the editing experience has a lot to do with the quality of the editor, the interaction between the writer and the editor, and the author’s ability to capitalize on the editor’s advice. I have been extremely fortunate to work with some of the best editors in my genre, but I have to credit my publisher, Lida Quillen of Twilight Times Books, for making this latest match. When she assigned Barb Caffrey to edit The Curse Giver, she brought together two experienced, opinionated, passionate lovers of the fantasy genre with stubborn streaks, high standards and even higher expectations. I have to wonder: Either Lida Quillen is a troublemaker or she’s the wisest publisher on the planet.
Generally speaking, an editor’s contributions range from the very simple to the very complex. Writer’s ego aside, a good editor will always remind us of the basic principles of writing and the pesky details we might overlook when submerged in our manuscript’s depths. I’m always surprised—not to mention embarrassed—by the simple finds, the nits, typos and common mistakes my editor catches. I blame writer’s myopia for those easy-to-fix bloopers. When you’ve read the same paragraph twenty-six times, the eye doesn’t see what’s before it anymore, but rather what the mind thinks the eye should see. I might be sharp and thrive at self-editing, but once the eyes go numb, self-editing becomes a delusion.
Beyond the simple contributions, an editor has a lot more to offer, not just to the author but to the story. A good editor can offer perspective and objectivity, which can often become casualties of the creative process. Objectivity is an important quality when evaluating a story. It’s not about how well the story is written. It’s about how well the story reads, how it flows—not in your author’s mind, where the movie has played so many times—but in the virgin mind, where the story runs what can sometimes be a very different course through a new geography.
This is exactly what happened when Barb Caffrey read The Curse Giver‘s manuscript. She pointed out the strengths right away—assets I immediately wanted to preserve during the editing process. But she also sensed a weakness, a kink in the story’s flow, a blind spot for the reader that didn’t exist in my author’s mind because I knew the story’s outcome all along.
Barb recommended that I add a new point of view to the story. I gasped when I got her e-mail. I imagined my word count—the bane of my writer’s existence—soaring. I thought about all the work it was going to take to integrate this new point of view into the story, the details I would have to tweak, the time and energy I would have to spend . . .
I sat on my author’s indignation for a whole five minutes before I began to consider the suggestion in earnest. I had been sort of wondering if The Curse Giver‘s first few chapters were strong enough to capture the reader’s mind and launch them into the grand adventure that awaited them. You know an editor is gifted when she jabs that needle directly into your nerve. You know she is exceptional when she answers the very question you feared asking.
“Okay, all right.” I took several deep breaths and forced my mind open. “So maybe Barb has a point.”
I had the perfect character built into the story to develop a new point of view. As Barb pointed out, I could keep my word count down by using the new point of view sparingly in a ruthless and utilitarian approach. She kindly encouraged me to at least give it a try. It doesn’t hurt when your editor combines excellence and kindness, so I sat down, wrote out the new POV, and tested it by inserting it in the story.
I purred like a satisfied kitten when I reread the amended story. My questions were answered. My doubts were put to rest. The story flowed beautifully. The new point of view strengthened and clarified the opening chapters, supporting the early development of the reader’s trance. Added bonus? Readers loved Severo, and they routinely tell me how much they like this quirky character who got his own POV at the last minute, courtesy of Barb Caffrey.
If you are a writer, you know that writing requires continuous self-development. Our trade demands the highest standards of critical review and our stories are improved by a rigorous editing process. An editor can provide all of that and more, especially if she has tons of practical experience in the genre, is a good fit to your style, and has secured your trust with high-impact recommendations. In addition, a good editor helps you build confidence in your writing. But remember, editing works only if the author is open to changes and suggestions. Take it from me: An editor can improve your writing and your manuscript . . . but only if you let her.
************
Thanks, Dora, for that excellent guest blog. I truly appreciate it.
As for the rest of you, please go buy THE CURSE GIVER without delay if you love fantasy, dark fantasy, romantic fantasy, fantasies that feature complex yet realistic world building, or just are up for a great read. Trust me — THE CURSE GIVER will not disappoint. (Further editor sayeth not.)
Working Away While Slowly Recovering
Folks, as I said a few weeks ago, my blogs may be few and far between for a while. My health continues to slow me down, though I have recovered a teensy bit of energy and have been able to do more in the way of editing for the past week or so.
Still, because I was so ill, I got behind in my various editorial projects. That means everything else got behind as well, including the various reviews I’d hoped to write for Chris Nuttall’s THE ROYAL SORCERESS, Ash Krafton’s second novel, and Karen Myers’ two novels in her Hounds of Annwn series. (These books all will be reviewed ASAP, but all depends on my health continuing to improve — or at least not to decline again.) And let’s not even start talking about any other writing, as everything — including e-mails to friends and colleagues — has taken a back burner to completing at least one edit for the past week-plus.
Fortunately, I’ve now done exactly that — completed work on one edit. (There are still three more in the pipeline, of course. But one beats none.) This means I might have a little time left over to write with, so that means I may be able to better work on my blog, my book reviews, and of course my fiction writing if I am able to set aside any time for it.
At any rate, as I’ve said here before, it took months for my health to become this bad. So it’s going to take months before my health returns to some semblance of normalcy. That means I have to continue to pace myself, get as much rest as possible, and try not to get frustrated as I’m assuredly going to have days where I can do almost nothing.
But the key is “almost.” And if I can do something, no matter how small — and no matter how fleeting — the day isn’t a complete and total write-off. Which means I’m doing all I can, and that I’m still progressing toward my goals.
And as that’s all I can do, I’ll take it.
Editorial Ramblings
Before I get into this long-overdue blog about my actual profession (writing and editing), let me say something important:
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about editing.
Because I’ve been doing so much editing lately, I’ve had trouble snapping out of “editor mode” and back into whatever mode I’m in when I write. This makes it more difficult to write blogs — even short ones — as much of my energy is being applied elsewhere.
The ability to write words is something I’ve called the “alpha state,” also known as the best place to be for a writer. This is when words flow naturally, and it’s seemingly easy to tell a story. I say “seemingly” because once you’re in the editing phase, you realize how much more work there is yet to do.
That’s why I thought today might be a good day to say a few specific words about editing. Because even though I’ve not specifically talked much about editing, it’s an extremely important part of any writer’s job whether you call yourself a “writer/editor” or not.
Writers often consider editors to be a “necessary evil” even if they, too, are editors. This is one of the odder things about the whole “writing/editing” profession; you don’t start editing unless you know something about writing, and you also don’t start editing unless you really enjoy writing (or at the very least, enjoy reading).
Yet the myth of the “Evil Editor” can’t help but persist, especially among writers who are just starting out or those who haven’t worked with many editors over time. I don’t know how this myth got started, but it really needs to come to an end. Pronto.
I can guarantee to you that, as an editor, I don’t go out of my way to cause trouble for writers. I understand writers (I should, because I am one), and I also understand the worry that an editor possibly won’t understand what you’re writing, and thus won’t be of any use to you.
For those extremely nervous writers out there (I won’t call you “nervous Nellies,” as at least some of your nerves are justifiable, if not actually justified), you need to remember that a good editor helps you clarify your thoughts and clean up your manuscript. Editors exist to help writers, to help polish up that gem of a story you have that’s ready to go out into the big, wide world — otherwise, what would be the point?
I mean, if editors were out there hoping for “perks,” the profession would’ve died out long ago.
Smart writers want editors to look over their work and give suggestions for improvement — at least, I know I want as much editorial help as I can find. Because while my writing is sound, and my ideas are fresh, why not run it by an editor and make my book even better?
Also, remember that even if you, the writer, don’t always agree with your editor, usually some sort of consensus can be reached if the lines of communication remain open. And if you’re willing to trust in the process — and not just eschew all editing because your book is perfect as it is, thank you.
Bottom line? You need to stop fearing the editor, or at least fearing the editorial process. Because your editor — whomever he or she may turn out to be — can help you improve your manuscript.
And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
————
Note: For those of you who would prefer not to deal with editors, and think your work is perfect as it stands, thank you very many — I have news.
It isn’t.
We all need editing. Every single last solitary one of us.
So rather than fearing the editorial process, or worse, disdaining it as unnecessary, you need to work with it.
Because it’s part of being a professional writer.
And if you’re in this business to be an obnoxious boor, and are insistent that you do not need editing or editors because you are perfect in every conceivable way and the words you’ve written don’t need editing because of your self-same perfection . . . and you then proceed to denigrate editors and editing whenever you can . . . all I can say to you is this:
Grow up. (Seriously.)
Twilight Times Books to Offer Free E-Books Between March 3 and 9, 2013
Folks, I have three pieces of information to impart today regarding Twilight Times Books (TTB).
First, there’s a giveaway going on next week (March 3 to March 9, 2013) over at Twilight Times Books for “Read an E-Book Week.” Several books will be given away, including Stephanie Osborn’s THE CASE OF THE DISPLACED DETECTIVE: THE ARRIVAL (book 1 in her Displaced Detective series). Read all about it here.
Second, there will be a concurrent sale over at TTB on their most popular e-books. The sale will take place at TTB’s own site, over at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine e-book outlets. So there’s never been a better time to read an e-book — or a cheaper one — than March 3 to March 9, 2013.
Third — and most personally relevant — is that I’ve been named to the TTB Editorial Board. (Check this link for further details.) Publisher Lida Quillen let me know she was going to do this, which I truly appreciate.
There’s really no better way for a publisher to show her appreciation of what you’re doing as an editor than by public acknowledgement of this type. So I’m quite pleased to be able to point this out. (I’ve known about it for a week, but wanted to discuss it now to coincide with the “read an e-book” promotion.)
Also, please check out the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) currently being offered by Twilight Times Books. I edited SAILING UPHILL by Gerald Mills, a fine and funny book about sailing and life. I also edited ANSELM: A Metamorphosis by Florence Byham Weinberg, an excellent literary fantasy set in 1965 about a flawed Catholic priest and a flawed literary professor, and how they intersect. And I edited LUCID by Natalie Roers, a young adult literary fantasy about lucid dreaming with a sweet romance at its heart. (I’m also currently in the midst of editing two other books for TTB, but those three are done and in, so I can talk about them.) Please go to this page to order the ARCs for these three fine books right now.
And do, do check out Stephanie Osborn’s free e-book next week. She deserves a much wider audience.
Thus ends this public service announcement.
Finished and Sent Off a Short Story
While I remain more under the weather than not — and boy, am I tired of having to write those words — I was able to complete a short story and send it off to an anthology over the weekend. (For those of you also on Facebook who’ve seen my recent status updates, this is the same story I discussed on Friday evening.)
Mind you, this is the first short story I’ve written in at least four months. And as such, I’m pleased with it.
Of course, as with just about all of my shorter efforts, my story has a plot that would probably better befit a novel. And I’ve already had one offer from a friend to help me turn it into just that down the line, so I guess there must be some promise in it.
Let us hope the anthology editor thinks so as well, whether she is able to buy it or not. (I take all the reassurance I can get.)
As far as everything else . . . you might be wondering why I checked both “remembrance” and “persistence” with regards to this post as far as categories go. It’s simple: the reason I came up with this particular short story has a great deal to do with my (deceased) good friend Jeff Wilson. In this newest of my short stories, I showed an unlikely friendship between a human and an alien and how many things were left unspoken between the pair that seemed to be in complete accord.
Then something happens where the alien is no longer able to speak for himself. (I know aliens don’t have to be male or female, but in this case this particular alien is male. So let’s go with it, shall we?)
The human friend does her best to figure out what’s going on even though her alien friend is no longer available to discuss all the options with her. And she solves a mystery — or perhaps comes up with a new one — while vowing all the while to never, ever forget her friend.
As I said, this story was prompted because of how much I miss my friend Jeff. It’s not a story that I would’ve come up with otherwise, though I have had a few stories since my late husband Michael’s death that, to one extent or another, were greatly impacted by his passing. (Most of them, to be honest. Save this one.)
I’d like to think that my friend would be honored by the fact that I’ve written this story, even though it’s far from perfect. (I know I shouldn’t say that, as the story hasn’t even been read by the anthology’s editor as of yet. But I tend to think none of my stories are perfect — not even ELFY, though that one comes the closest by miles to what I’d dreamed it should be — which perhaps means I’m being overly perfectionistic again.) I also think he’d be pleased that I’d written a science fiction story — when he had to know I’m more conversant with fantasy — because it means I’m better able to let the story tell me where it wants to go, rather than go where I think it should.
(This last may make no sense to non-writers. But it is still the truth.)
I would like to think that our loved ones — friends, husbands, makes no nevermind — will live on as long as we remember them.
All I know is, I will never forget Jeff Wilson. Not ever.
I just hope he knew that.
And I hope, someday, in some faraway place, that I’ll be able to ask him what he thinks of this story. Because when I wrote it, I thought a great deal about him.
And smiled.
Copy-Editing Internship Ends, and Other Updates
As of yesterday — Friday, January 25, 2013 — I am no longer a copy-editing intern at Bleacher Report.
Now, this is not a bad thing. Not at all, in fact, because it means I have successfully completed my twelve-week internship.
During this time, I have fought illness and had some other family health issues that came into play. My energy levels have been low, particularly in late December and all throughout this month. I haven’t played a concert for the UW-Parkside Community Band since last May due to everything going on (though I have played several for the Racine Concert Band) and my writing definitely hasn’t been where I want it to be.
But I have continued to persist.
I also learned a new “house style” — for non-editors, this is what Bleacher Report expected articles to look like and what ways terms were either capitalized, hyphenated (or not) or otherwise emphasized. This was the first time I’d had to learn a new stylistic language in at least fourteen years, so that in and of itself is an accomplishment.
And, of course, every site is different. Some places want you to write “website” as all one word with no capitalization. Some want you to write it in my preferred way, “Web site.” Some write “Website” with a capital W.
It’s the little differences that set different sites apart. Which is why learning “house styles” can be either a blessing or a headache, take your pick. (Even though sometimes, it’s both.)
Finishing up my internship without being able to call my friend Jeff and let him know what happened (as I’m sure he’d have been up on it) was difficult. I have always felt bittersweet when something ends . . . many of us do, I know, so I’m far from the only one. Still, he understood me quite well (as I understood him) and he’d know this was a major accomplishment.
I really wish he’d have been alive to hear me talk about it.
Of course, had my husband Michael still been alive to this date, he and I would’ve gone out to celebrate in some way or another. He’d have told me that doing something like this to maximize my chances at a paying job in the only section of the publishing industry that seems to possibly be expanding (or at least not contracting, as sports is a big business, I love sports and understand ’em, so why not?) was a shrewd career move whether it pays off in the short run or not. And he’d have told me over and over again how much he admired me for doing this when I’m hardly fresh out of college (not even fresh out of my Master’s program) . . . even though I know what he’d have said, I wish he had been here to say it. (Michael was uniformly encouraging and believed very strongly in me and my abilities as a writer and editor. Even when I didn’t believe in myself, he always believed. That’s why I will love him forever.)
And of course I really wish Michael were still alive, too . . . goodness alone knows what we’d have done as writers and editors had he survived the four heart attacks in 2004, but I’m sure it would’ve been amazing.
I like to think that everything I do will matter, both to Michael and Jeff, whenever I see them next. And I do think I will see them again, and know them, and be able to continue on as before in whatever way the soul goes on in eternity.
Knowing that, some days, is all that keeps me focused.
Aside from that, I thought I’d pass along a few other updates. I’m still going through ELFY, part 1, with my publisher’s blessing, but I hope to have all changes back soon. (Yes, that’s my coy way of saying ELFY is to be split without actually saying it. Though I just did anyway, so all that coyness really didn’t work. Ah, well.) I don’t know if there will be different names given to parts 1 and 2 at this point. I do know that ELFY is coming out only as an e-book, but that’s fine with me as it’s miles better than where I was a year ago.
I’m taking another week off from reviewing anything over at Shiny Book Review, but Jason Cordova reviewed Sarah A. Hoyt’s DARKSHIP RENEGADES a few days ago. So do take a look.
And in a non-personal update, Corey Hart did indeed end up having knee surgery after he got his second opinion. Most sports sites (like Hardball Talk) have Hart penciled out of the lineup until May. My hunch is that Hart, if he heals anything close to as quickly as he did the last time, will be back by mid-April at the latest.
In closing . . . while the internship is over, life goes on. I’ll continue to do whatever I can to write, edit, comment and figure out what happens as best I’m able . . . and if there are further updates in this quarter (one would hope there would be at some point with either writing, editing or life in general) I’ll keep you posted.
And who knows? Maybe by next week I’ll have enough energy to write a book review or two. (I have several hanging fire, one a non-fiction book about space from Travis Taylor and Stephanie Osborn, three great books from K.E. Kimbriel and two books by Veronica Roth to get to, among others.)
Here’s hoping.
A Quick Saturday Update
Despite my best efforts, whatever it is that I’ve been sick with for the past several weeks has grown worse over the past few days rather than better.
This has necessitated that I rest, drink much water, take over-the-counter medication and then rest some more.
The only good thing about being ill is that I’ve finished a number of books, including Janet Edwards’ EARTH GIRL, Beth Revis’ ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, Gennifer Albin’s CREWEL and Victoria Alexander’s A VISIT FROM SIR NICHOLAS and THE PERFECT MISTRESS (the last a delightful story set in 19th century England about a ghost, her great-granddaughter and the need to embrace life). All of these were thought-provoking books, but the reason I’m going to review Edwards’ EARTH GIRL over at Shiny Book Review is that it’s an extremely rare example of what could be a utopia as no one hungers, thirsts, or lacks for medical care while everyone is educated to the limit of his or her ability. But there are still problems, mostly dealing with the Handicapped (those who cannot portal to other worlds and must stay on Earth), which gave Edwards the ability to show conflict even in a mostly utopic setting.
Edited to add: review of EARTH GIRL is up at SBR.
Still doing my best to write, edit and regain my health. But this flu — or whatever it is that has me laid low — is really not any fun whatsoever.
Quick Weekend Update
As the new year approaches, I’ve been rushing to get some projects taken care of that have been “hanging fire” for a long time. One of those was an intensive editorial project for a nearly six-hundred page epic fantasy novel, which has now been completed.
However, I still have the final ELFY editing changes to go over as I delayed work on that due to the amount of work required for the other project.
This is one reason why reviews have been few and far between (by my standards, at least).
Otherwise, I’ve had a nagging cough and cold that doesn’t seem to want to go away but also doesn’t seem to be getting any worse. It’s added to the intensity of some headaches, but otherwise hasn’t done a whole lot other than slow me down.
All of this is a long-winded way of saying that aside from editing (both for the in-progress internship and the large editorial project just completed), I haven’t done a whole lot of writing this week, on my blog or off.
One would hope that once the new year commences that I’ll be able to write a few more blogs on the various and sundry subjects I’ve previously discussed — or maybe even some new ones. (Hey. It could happen.)
Other than that, I hope to be able to at least review one book tomorrow night, a romance, over at Shiny Book Review. (That, and the internship hours, and maybe some work on the ELFY changes, are my plan for Saturday. Obviously, I lead an exciting life.)
Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
Bad Weather Plus Migraine Equals . . . Not Much
Many of you have heard that most of Wisconsin is under a blizzard warning. Southeastern Wisconsin hasn’t been hit that hard thus far, but we’ve had a great deal of rain in the past sixteen to eighteen hours . . . and now, it’s turned to snow.
Before the weather turned bad, I was able to get a great deal of editing done for a very big project I’ve been working on for a few months. I’m now over 3/4 of the way through it, and it looks likely that I’ll be able to turn it in soon.
The weather shouldn’t affect me providing the power stays on, of course. But one of the problems I have with huge weather systems is that they tend to set off a very bad headache, and that’s what I’m dealing with right now.
So everything that I’d hoped to do today — save my visit to the Asthma Clinic, which was accomplished — is likely to go by the boards, at least until I’ve had some decent rest.
I should be fine tomorrow (when I have internship hours scheduled), providing I’m sensible tonight and rest.
So I’m going to be sensible, stay home out of the nasty weather, and just do the best I can.
As for anyone else in Wisconsin, I hope they’ll be sensible, too — or at least be smart.
See you all tomorrow, when I should be able to get at least one book review up over at SBR. (I had hopes to get three up this weekend; now that looks most unlikely. Boo, hiss to that!)
Started an Editorial Internship
A few weeks ago, I applied for an editorial internship at a the large sports Web site. The internship is unpaid, but it’s good experience — and I got it. (It started as of Friday evening.)
Note that working for a sports Web site, paid or unpaid, is a distinct challenge. I haven’t ever been called upon to edit so quickly before, much less while learning a new “house style” and all the various rules and regs in the process.
But what is life without a challenge?
However, as there’s only so much time in a day — and I’m already working on two major book edits, one of which is to be completed by November 10 if at all possible — this week my blog definitely suffered the consequences, as aside from this mini-blog right here I’ve only managed to sit down and write one other blog.
Next week, I should be able to do at least a bit more writing. But getting the hang of the new editing internship is the priority right now, right along with the in-process book edits.
But for now, I thought I’d reinforce a few of the well-thumbed messages I’ve received over the years, to wit:
- Follow your dreams wherever they may lead you. Even if your dreams take unwieldy detours. Even if they doesn’t seem to make sense to anyone but you.
- Don’t let anything stop you from the pursuit of your dreams if you know you’re right.
- Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong, as that’s the only way to learn.
- Stay humble, if possible; avoid annoying people unnecessarily, if not.
- Most importantly, hold fast to your dreams no matter what.
All I know is, without dreams, why should we keep trying? And without goals, what would be our motivation?
Our dreams give us purpose. Our dreams give us meaning. And best of all, our dreams can give us hope, which is why if you know you’re right — if you know you have the talent, drive, and ability to learn — you shouldn’t let anyone set your dreams aside for anything.
This is why I tell you to persist. And keep on persisting. Because persistence plus effort plus willingness to learn is the winning strategy no matter what your dream is — and the only way you can access that strategy is to “keep on keepin’ on” in good times, bad times, and just-plain-mediocre times.
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Note: look for my book review of Patricia C. Wrede’s THE FAR WEST over at SBR in the coming days. (If I’m fortunate, it’ll go up sometime Saturday night/Sunday morning. If I’m not — if I’m bogged down with the book edits — then it’ll have to be put back to next Thursday or so.)
Barb Caffrey's Blog 