The Writer-Editor Relationship – a Case Study

by Gail Tagarro

Substitute ‘damn’ every time you're inclined to write ‘very’. Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be―Mark Twain

Mark Twain, a formidable author with a formidable moustache, had an ambiguous relationship with proofreaders and book editors. But even he realised his work was not perfect and that it needed an editor’s input.

A few years ago, I began working with a first-time writer as a mentor and developmental editor on a fiction manuscript in the chick lit genre. I thought it would be helpful for other writers to read about the writer-editor relationship in this context.

Mini appraisal

We began with a mini manuscript appraisal on the first few chapters of the book. The writer had finished the manuscript – about 75,000 words – but was not yet confident enough in the writing to consider submission to a publisher and realised professional guidance was needed.

As I was reading a few chapters from the manuscript, I saw the potential in the writing. Lack of confidence is a common issue with new writers. I work with many new writers and respect them for seeking professional guidance. It’s a big step to leave the comfort of anonymity behind and put your hard-earned manuscript into anyone’s hands, let alone those of a professional editor!

What next?

Having completed the mini appraisal, we discussed various options. One of these included the writer making changes to the whole manuscript by applying the suggestions from the mini appraisal, and then at the end of that process, having me edit the complete manuscript. Another option was for me to work through the manuscript in ‘chapter chunks’, so that by the end of the process a strong second or third draft would be completed and should need a lighter edit. The writer decided to send me the work in ‘chapter chunks’, initially three at a time, then more later. I would give feedback to apply not only to the reviewed chapters, but to the rest of the manuscript as well. This is because writers tend to make similar errors throughout their manuscripts. Some overuse the passive voice, for example, or consistently make errors in punctuation. When this interferes with the flow of the story, it becomes a distraction to the reader. Others have difficulties with plot, pacing, or a myriad of other issues.

Those track changes…

Whenever I send a writer an appraisal or a sample edit on their work, I explain that it is important not to feel discouraged by the many comments and changes on the manuscript that show up when using the ‘track changes’ feature of Microsoft Word. The edited manuscript almost always looks worse than it actually is.

The editor’s role

The job of a professional editor is to critique a writer’s work, to provide constructive criticism, not to criticise. Changes and comments should always be helpful and encouraging, never critical or cruel.

In that spirit, I gave guidance about what would make the story tighter, make it flow better, and improve the characterisation, all of which would create a strong foundation for the rest of the book. These included moving information around to make the story flow more smoothly, as changes of location and time within chapters were distracting and interrupted the flow, and bringing in detailed character descriptions at the time characters were first introduced, not later.

As the writer had completed the first draft of the manuscript, the raw material was available to work with, and the ideas. The writer also had the natural ability to improve upon the first draft.

Writers should feel encouraged by the editor’s comments and suggestions and maintain the enthusiasm and drive to keep on writing. I ended the mini appraisal by suggesting the following:

·       Remember to keep your readers engaged, always

·       Begin and end each chapter on a high note so that the reader will want to continue reading

·       Remember that every word, every sentence, every paragraph must count. The aim is to move your story forward, always.

The writer made the suggested changes to the first three chapters, and returned them to me for a second review. I was so encouraged by the improvement in her writing that I felt like doing a little dance!

Subsequently, my first-time writer completed a couple more iterations of the three chapters and then sent me the next three chapters for review. Even after only a couple of months working together, I saw their confidence grow from that of a newbie ‘apologetic’ writer, to someone who believed in their ability as a writer. They successfully came out of the ‘writer’s closet’ and began striding towards writer’s success, with two books now self-published and selling extremely well, and the third book of the trilogy currently being written. It’s a writer-editor success story.

Gail Tagarro, author of Ten Ways to Super-Charge your Writing Skills (with Bonus Chapter on Self-publishing), is a Writing Coach, Author and Accredited Editor. Contacts: M 0405 695 534 E editors4you@gmail.com W editors4you.com.au FB facebook.com/editors4you

*This article originally appeared in WQ 265