On-Going Legacy: John R. Douglas

John’s Handiwork

The day before I learned that editor John R. Douglas had died, I was talking with my husband, Jim, who is busily working on his first novel.  The topic was characterization.  This is pretty much a direct quote of what I said to Jim:

“When he sent me notes on my novel When the Gods Are Silent, John Douglas said, ‘I think you know a lot more about these characters than is making it onto the page.  I’m not telling you what, just go look at the manuscript and see if you agree.’  John went on to explain that a certain amount of judicious repetition was not a bad thing because ‘The reader isn’t necessarily going to be reading the book in one sitting, so a little reminder of who is who is helpful.’”

This was probably in 1996 or so, and I’m still not only quoting it, I remember that bit of advice every time I’m writing.

John Douglas was my first editor, and more or less “discovered” me.  It was purely by chance.  I’d gone to World Fantasy Convention for a face-to-face meeting with Kay McCauley, who would be my agent until her death in 2020.  I was hanging out with Roger Zelazny who, unaware that the Mass Signing was a thing (it hadn’t been put on his schedule), had graciously agreed to sign books after one of his panels.

As would be expected, the line was very long.  I ended up chatting with John Douglas and Jeff Bredenberg, whose novel The Man in the Moon Must Die, was a new release.  Jeff asked if I had a particular reason for being at WFC, and when I explained I had a novel manuscript with my new agent and I was going to meet with her to talk about it, he went on to ask “What’s it about?” 

I fumbled out something about a woman who people thought was crazy, because she only spoke in quotations.  John Douglas’s eyes lit up and he said, “I love stories about ‘crazy’ people.  I’m going to ask Kay if I can see it.”  And eventually he did.  (She had it out to another publisher, who turned it down.)

When he edited this book, Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls, John’s most crucial editorial note was that I expand the ending, saying that “Yes, the story is done, but it needs more closure.”  So I wrote that final bit, inadvertently creating a scene that my buddy David Weber (who also has his own “John Douglas was a wonderful editor” story) still quotes to this day.

John would go on to edit my first several novels.  He was the one who bought Changer, which remains one of my most popular and acclaimed works.  He also encouraged me to think about writing a series.  Therefore, even though he did not buy the Firekeeper Saga, John is definitely responsible for me shifting from standalone works. (Changer’s sequel, published as Legends Walking, now available with my original title Changer’s Daughter, was not planned but requested by the publisher after Changer’s unexpected success.)

John was also Roger Zelazny’s final novel editor, and made certain that Roger’s wish that I finish Roger’s remaining two works-in-progress, Donnerjack and Lord Demon, was honored.  This was a tough task, since at that point John had to go to various committees and explain why Roger’s wish should be granted, since I had only published one novel, although three more had been sold and were in various stages of production.  But John, like Roger, believed I could do it.  Donnerjack was cut from a three book series to one book (which made my job pretty tough), which is evidence of the resistance John met up with.

Oh, and for all of you who love Roger’s A Night in the Lonesome October, toast John with a mug of your favorite pumpkin spice beverage, because he’s the one who took a book that didn’t fit any of the categories into which publishers would have slotted “A Zelazny Novel.”

When John left Avon for Harper, we parted ways professionally but remained in touch.  When John learned we (well, more like Jim) played bridge, he wistfully said he loved bridge and wished he had people he could play with.  So, when he was in New Mexico, we arranged a bridge party.  After that, for several years, Jim and John would meet up to play bridge at World Fantasy Convention, usually with a couple of agents.  Great fun!  Jim got a definite chuckle that he had a seat at the sort of gathering writers dream of.

Okay.  I’ve probably hit the dreaded TLDR level, so I’ll stop.  But, as my chat with Jim just a few days ago shows, John’s legacy as an editor continues, not only in my works, but in the works of every writer he worked with, as well as in advice passed along to writers who will never have the privilege of knowing him.

Next week, I’ll go back to my planned topic, trigged by the arrival of my author’s copies of the forthcoming House of Rough Diamonds.