"With a partial manuscript, I think it’s especially important for an editor to say what he’s..."

“With a partial manuscript, I think it’s especially important for an editor to say what he’s enjoying. For a novelist to be told, midstream, what he’s doing right can actually influence the unwritten parts of a novel in a positive way—praise helps a writer know what’s good about what he’s written, what’s interesting and exciting, and what to work for in writing the conclusion. Knowing the strong points focuses one’s attention on what’s strong, and makes it easier to move from strength to strength. Whereas criticism at the wrong time, even if it’s legitimate criticism, can be seriously damaging and make the writer lose faith in what he’s doing. It’s the timing that’s all-important.”

- Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch, in conversation with her editor Michael Pietsch (via blairthornburgh)