In an AOL author chat many years ago, the moderator asked me, "What kind of writer are you?" I said, "A good one." No doubt he meant, What genre do you work in?, but that's a question I've never been interested in answering. I write good novels. I aim to write great novels. Sometimes the publisher calls these novels science fiction, or lesbian fiction, or crime fiction, or historical fiction. I call them good books.
As a writer, I am ambitious. I've never been shy about that. (See my rant on the subject, You've been warned.) But I hadn't consciously considered my ambitions as an editor (though I have thought about why I edit), until a writer asked me the other day, "What kind of editor are you?" I said, "A good one." But that's not the whole truth. Here's what I would say today:
As an editor, I am extremely ambitious--for you. It is not enough for me to help you polish your sentences, punch up your plot, and hone your characters. It's not enough to strike out your adverbs and adjectives. Not enough to point out your clichés and remind you to be specific. I will do all those things, of course--it's where we must begin--but they are only stepping stones to my real goal.
I want to help you change the world.
To do that, I'll help you write the best story of your life. I will look at your draft and I will ask you questions; I'll help you find out what you really want to say. Most writers begin by stepping around their story. I will help you drive straight for its heart. I will help you find the right words, the right scenes, the right settings and characters, the right POV, the right tense, the right trouble. I will stand sternly at the entrance to the road labeled The Easy Way Out and urge you back to the true path.
I will not shrug and let you get away with less than your best. I will keep you working until the wide way to the centre of your story opens before you. You will walk that way to the very best thing you've ever written (so far). When people read it, they will be changed.
That's what great writing does. That's the point. Oh, it entertains us, yes, it delights and amuses us, but it changes us, just a little. It widens our perspective, just a degree or two, increases our understanding, sharpens our vision. If your work changes one tiny thing in one reader, you change the way that person approaches the world. That changes the world.
Hundreds of readers have told me my work has changed their lives. A handful have told me my work saved their lives. One told me my work eased someone's death. That's why I write. That's why I teach and edit: so you can change the world, too.
Do you want to change the world? If you don't, what do you want to achieve with your writing?
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That is ... an EXCELLENT fucking answer.
ReplyDeleteNiiice.
ReplyDeleteI think "Stepping around" is something I do. There's some internal blockage that I always have to fight. Part of that is not considering myself smart enough, myself worthy of changing someone else's life.
Of course, I'm a parent. I know what that kind of influence looks like. Scary stuff.
But I've had to admit to myself with this book I'm writing now that I want it to have the potential to scare the hell out of people, make readers think.
Scary stuff.
Relamcovet, thank you. I think so too :)
ReplyDeletessas, I'm glad you've admitted it. It's the first step. Now go scare them to death.
Yeah, I guess I have to get scared first before I can scare others! Heh.
ReplyDeleteThat was an almost orgasmic response. It was indeed, very, very good. Please accept my apologies for the length of my response and hopefully, no questions are too stupid to ask?
ReplyDeleteRight now, I have three irons stirring in the fire and I want Sterling Editing to handle the appropriate one at some point. One of my irons is a novel that I have been working on for yonks. It is with an editor now (a friend of a friend). I have no idea how many red marks it will accrue or what type changes will be suggested. That one, already has a bunch of cooks stirring the pot - so may not be the best candidate.
From that novel, I want to write two more - using the same character. Well, at least one more, for sure. I haven't started the second novel yet (which is my second iron) but I have written a few notes about where it happens, who she meets, etc. Will having SE step in on the second novel defeat the purpose of making the character and the book(s) flow because I should have used SE in polishing the first novel?
The third iron in the fire is a fantasy short story for young adults. I had it critiqued and was told that I should query a publisher and ask if they would be interested in my growing the short story into a novel or even a book of short stories - based on that particular character. Several other people have said that they see it as a series. (Perhaps they are telling the truth) Anyway, I don't know of any publishers or even an agent who accepts a short story based only on an idea to develop it further. I believe this means I have to write the entire novel before I can send it to anyone?
I'm sorry I’ve taken the long way around to ask you all these questions. More > At what stage of the project does SE want the manuscript? 1.Completed and double checked by other editors so its good enough to go through Sterling Editing 2.several chapters done so SE knows what the author is aiming for 3.one chapter done and the book will grow as SE works with the writer.
Maybe other readers have a similar question.
Donna, I've answered this as a separate blog post, here.
ReplyDeletehmmm..passion always seems to be mentioned as driving force in creativity; interesting to see ambition in its stead.
ReplyDelete