| Writing Tips (continued) | | Date Created: Jan 28, 2006, 07:42 PM |
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2a. Find an editor that you trust. Then trust her.
Oh, sure, argue with her... plead to keep those sports analogies in. But in the end, if you can't convince her, cut and rewrite till she likes it. She wants to like it. I may have said before, but when, after publication, my wife read Mealtime Habits for the first time, she (typically wonderfully) made a list of things she wanted to discuss further and things that she loved because they were so 'me'. When I looked at her list, I had to laugh. About half of the things that were 'so me' turned out to be things that my editor had made me rewrite or change in some way. A good editor has made me sound more like me than I could on my own, largely by cutting. Almost half of chapter one of Jesus Asked -- material I still love -- was cut. She didn't think it belonged. I couldn't convince her. I let it go, and behold, it was good.
By the way, my editor is now working freelance and if your publisher is willing to hire her for you (you won't be able to afford paying a professional editor like her youself), that might be a Very Good Thing. Amy Boucher Pye -- boucherpye@ntlworld.com
Tomorrow, rewriting. |
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