It is true that most of us aspire for perfection, but obviously, hardly anyone can achieve it. However, repeatedly, things can be improved and anything between good and excellent accomplished, and this is often the case with anyone who has an artistic streak, but particularly true for writers.
We would all like to believe that our writing is flawless, our ideas unsurpassed, and our grammar impeccable. But reviews, evaluations, synopses, and anything else that places our work in front of strangers’ eyes quickly tells us that this is not so, that in fact, we have an overabundance of shortcomings. This reality check can produce a number of reactions in a writer. From the teachable, “I’ll keep trying until I get it right” to the hard-headed, “this is what I want to say, I refuse to change a single word”, to anything in between.
This is a truth. First, writers are driven to distraction by the voices in their heads, second, by the need to scribble words just about everywhere – serviettes, notebooks, receipts, strips of paper – and third, by talent. And just like any other artist, this talent needs to be honed, so that those scribbles can be turned into works that not only satisfy us but others as well, if our aim is to make them public. Think of the hours every musician, painter, sculptor and actor has invested in his craft. The same goes for writers.
Just as the musician needs a producer and an actor a director, so the writer needs an editor. Sure, there are prodigies and geniuses, but those are in the minority, and although there are writers who are competent at editing their own work, there is nothing like an extra pair of eyes for additional assistance. Whereas the writer is the creator of his own piece, an editor is the polisher, so see it as a partnership – the pot-maker produces the pot and another smoothes out the rough edges and varnishes it.
It is possible to edit one’s own work, many writers do it successfully, but they have learnt to separate the two activities/entities and discovered how to listen to the voice that makes the most sense. Yet, there is nothing like getting a second opinion, just as one would when confronted with a serious illness. Our writing is serious business, why would we not want to discover if there are plot holes, incorrect descriptions, character deviations, and setting muddles? Not to mention grammar and spelling anomalies. And do not imagine that anyone is above errors, because although good editors hold themselves to high standards and aspire to help produce as perfect a manuscript as possible, they too make occasional mistakes and inevitable slipups.
The writer and editor should be on an equal level regarding the story. What I mean here is; if you are a fantasy writer, look for an editor who is well-versed in the same, as the shared interest will be an advantage, although, an editor does not need to like your work to do a good job. But an editor who is familiar with the fantasy genre understands world-building, made-up terms and exotic life forms and steps in with his/her primary function in mind, which is to check spelling, grammar, and continuity, not to try change the storytelling.
Unless there is proof of plot loss, deviations and confusion, an editor stays away from the fundamental tale, merely there to guide the writer in producing clearer material. Conversely, having an editor does not mean you never read or revise your own work. Naturally, you should. Proofreading, typesetting, and doing basic edits is necessary to find those sneaky mistakes each writer tends to have difficulty with. Some can be excellent spellers but have a problem with sentence construction or punctuation and revision often brings these drawbacks to the fore.
As you can see, an editor’s duty is to ensure the quality of your work, and to suggest improvements where and when necessary. Many writers want to be in the business of writing and find it difficult to deal with the technical side of things; formatting, typesetting, grammar, spelling, dialogue… it can all sound like a foreign language. So this is where a close working relationship comes in. The writer must feel that the editor ‘gets’ him, and the editor enjoys a writer who welcomes challenges and is willing to accept a new perspective.
Being an editor involves more than having read many books, receiving a good education, perhaps also having taught, and including an excellent command of grammar; in other words, although all those are plusses, it is also a talent. Editing fiction entails knowledge of current trends and frequently countless years of writing as well, as many editors are writers themselves. I have often heard that writers are schizophrenics who self-medicate. Ditto for editors, as they often sit long hours into the night pondering the merits of A versus B, having conversations with themselves about a manuscript that would be equally excellent whether the protagonist went left or right.
Everyone feels that their work is better than someone else’s, unique, and that publishers and editors alike should realize it the moment it lands on their desks. There is fantasy and reality but some writers have not yet learnt to distinguish the two and react negatively when receiving a less than glowing critique. There is taste, preference and subjectivity but there are also ground rules and editors know how they apply to plot, language, tone, and the essentials that can make or break a book. Why then seek an editor and afterwards refuse to change anything? And suggestions are just that, they do not have to be followed. Ultimately, it is the writer’s prerogative to do as he pleases. To have the final say in what goes and what stays.
Overall, editors try to exercise good judgment, make helpful suggestions, and offer appropriate advice while keeping track of a writer’s preferred plan for his tale. A manuscript is sacred, and I never consider changing one beyond recognition. Instead, I see the opportunity to work with the writer as a time of creation, with the objective of turning it into a work that is concise, clear, pleasing, and possibly a great work of art.
I conclude with a quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr. “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” He may have been alluding to a political atmosphere, but it rings true for most walks of life, and never more so than when it comes to an artist’s content, as he often feel that no one can touch his ‘baby’, because his ‘baby’, is perfect.
