A Comma Here, A Comma There, A Comma Everywhere!
You may ask, “What does an editor do?”
Well, it’s not an easy job and my editor, Linda Knight, is sensational when it comes to editing what I have written. I appreciate her insights, not only with grammar and punctuation, but also in helping to make the plot and characters make sense. It’s fun to sit in the library at Galena, Missouri, and work through the books. I have learned a lot and as an editor, she is always thorough and doesn’t miss very much.
First, a little background on Linda. She graduated from Mansfield High in Mansfield, Missouri. She also went to College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. She has been an English teacher for thirteen years and spent 17 years as a librarian in southwest Missouri public schools. She enjoyed her time as a librarian the most, and as she is an avid reader and story teller, I could see that would be her cup of tea. She has also taught Creative Writing at the community college level.
Second, now what does an editor do? Well, usually I will send about three chapters at a time that she will read through and correct. We then meet at the library in Galena and go over those corrections. I love her insight into my work and how she throws other options that I never thought about into my work. She is so diligent with commas, quotations, citing and referencing. She makes sure I give credit when I need to and also keeps my story lines moving and flowing.
We have become friends over time and she roots hard for me to be successful. I have to say that she is a big part of any success I may have and she is the kind of force that every writer needs to stay focused on, not only the story, but the structure and presentation of the story. I see us as a team and my role is the imagination and telling of the story in my words. Her role is to “dress it up” so to speak and make it into a presentable format. It’s great that she knows me well enough now to understand and predict where I am taking the story next. She gives me good plot options not just from a writer’s point of view but from the perspective of a potential reader and what they would see.
I asked Linda to speak on her perspective on the writer/editor relationship. Her are a few of her thoughts.
“I started editing when I started teaching high school English after I graduated from college. I brought home a pile of papers each night, using a lot red ink, but hoping that the suggestions that I made would make sense. With each draft of their papers, improvements were being made. Then the day would come when the student would need me less and less. The first book I ever edited was for a preacher who wanted to tell his story. I learned that editing was a process that takes both the author and editor to become a team.”
“The best part of editing are the lightbulb moments when a correction or suggestion is accepted and the connection between author and editor has been accomplished.”
“The worst part of editing is the feeling I get when I know an author has poured their heart and soul into a plot or character, and I have to say "this doesn't really work here" or "how about if you try this instead".
“When it comes down to it, the editor can make suggestions, but the author has the final say. Line editing is easy for me… commas, adverbs, and grammar usage. Content editing is difficult. You are really telling the author that parts of the book aren't right and rewrites must occur.”
There’s a lot of give and take with the author and the editor. The main fact remains, Linda and I work within the teamwork concept. I never take her suggestions personally and see it as a stage of improvement for my writing. One or two key sentences in a paragraph can make it hard for a reader to follow if left unedited. Constructive criticism can improve the whole writing process and I am thankful that I have Linda to do that for me. She is my critic, but she is also my teacher who motivates and pushes for improvement all the time. That’s what good teachers do, right?
If you would like to contact Linda with more questions or would like to use her for one of your works, you can email her at l.knight89@yahoo.com.
Thanks for reading.
Well, it’s not an easy job and my editor, Linda Knight, is sensational when it comes to editing what I have written. I appreciate her insights, not only with grammar and punctuation, but also in helping to make the plot and characters make sense. It’s fun to sit in the library at Galena, Missouri, and work through the books. I have learned a lot and as an editor, she is always thorough and doesn’t miss very much.
First, a little background on Linda. She graduated from Mansfield High in Mansfield, Missouri. She also went to College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. She has been an English teacher for thirteen years and spent 17 years as a librarian in southwest Missouri public schools. She enjoyed her time as a librarian the most, and as she is an avid reader and story teller, I could see that would be her cup of tea. She has also taught Creative Writing at the community college level.
Second, now what does an editor do? Well, usually I will send about three chapters at a time that she will read through and correct. We then meet at the library in Galena and go over those corrections. I love her insight into my work and how she throws other options that I never thought about into my work. She is so diligent with commas, quotations, citing and referencing. She makes sure I give credit when I need to and also keeps my story lines moving and flowing.
We have become friends over time and she roots hard for me to be successful. I have to say that she is a big part of any success I may have and she is the kind of force that every writer needs to stay focused on, not only the story, but the structure and presentation of the story. I see us as a team and my role is the imagination and telling of the story in my words. Her role is to “dress it up” so to speak and make it into a presentable format. It’s great that she knows me well enough now to understand and predict where I am taking the story next. She gives me good plot options not just from a writer’s point of view but from the perspective of a potential reader and what they would see.
I asked Linda to speak on her perspective on the writer/editor relationship. Her are a few of her thoughts.
“I started editing when I started teaching high school English after I graduated from college. I brought home a pile of papers each night, using a lot red ink, but hoping that the suggestions that I made would make sense. With each draft of their papers, improvements were being made. Then the day would come when the student would need me less and less. The first book I ever edited was for a preacher who wanted to tell his story. I learned that editing was a process that takes both the author and editor to become a team.”
“The best part of editing are the lightbulb moments when a correction or suggestion is accepted and the connection between author and editor has been accomplished.”
“The worst part of editing is the feeling I get when I know an author has poured their heart and soul into a plot or character, and I have to say "this doesn't really work here" or "how about if you try this instead".
“When it comes down to it, the editor can make suggestions, but the author has the final say. Line editing is easy for me… commas, adverbs, and grammar usage. Content editing is difficult. You are really telling the author that parts of the book aren't right and rewrites must occur.”
There’s a lot of give and take with the author and the editor. The main fact remains, Linda and I work within the teamwork concept. I never take her suggestions personally and see it as a stage of improvement for my writing. One or two key sentences in a paragraph can make it hard for a reader to follow if left unedited. Constructive criticism can improve the whole writing process and I am thankful that I have Linda to do that for me. She is my critic, but she is also my teacher who motivates and pushes for improvement all the time. That’s what good teachers do, right?
If you would like to contact Linda with more questions or would like to use her for one of your works, you can email her at l.knight89@yahoo.com.
Thanks for reading.
No comments have been added yet.
