10 Questions with Mara Hodges (editor at Montag Press)
1. When you take on a project as an editor, describe your editing process.
First, I tell the author what I noticed when I first read the manuscript. These are the largest issues such as plot holes or characters that need better development. Since I read it quickly the first time, there’s usually not much I have to say initially. After I have the contract, I’ll read it a second time more slowly to catch anything I overlooked. I’ll also point out any grammar issues I notice so I don’t forget about them later, but for the second read my focus is mainly on the characters and story. On the third read, I’ll examine each sentence individually and iron out any remaining kinks. A complete fourth read is usually not necessary, but I’ll do it if I feel the manuscript really needs it.
2. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’ve never understood the need to choose just one of anything, especially when it’s a lifelong decision. Books are like family and friends; they help us grow, and growing is a lifelong process. Ten years ago, I would have said “Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury. Five years ago, it would have been “Asimov’s Mysteries” by Isaac Asimov. Today, it’s “Time Enough For Love” by Robert Heinlein. All three books contain multiple life lessons that are near and dear to my heart.
3. What about a novel will catch your interest? What will turn you away from a novel?
I look for novels that are inspiring, either personally or generally. I like dynamic characters who take charge of their own lives or work to save the world. I’ve read several manuscripts where the protagonist sits in a mental institution feeling sorry for himself through all or most of the story and rejected them all. I think it’s great for a protagonist to spend some time in an institution, but he has to learn something from it and come out ready to face whatever put him there in the first place. Sometimes the institution is a literal one, and sometimes it’s figurative. Sometimes it’s physical and sometimes it’s all in the character’s head. Whatever the case, it’s an obstacle that needs to be overcome.
A good writing style is also important. Some authors put too much detail and some don’t use enough. Some of that can be fixed, but I won’t touch a story that’s wooden all the way through. Sometimes it’s just the dialogue that’s wooden, and that’s easy to fix because it can often be translated into indirect dialogue.
I open every manuscript expecting to reject it. That may sound harsh, but if it does not captivate me, there’s no way I could dedicate a month or more of my life to it. Still, I usually give each story a fair shot by reading it all the way to the end. I feel guilty rejecting a manuscript when I have not read the whole thing.
4. Who is your all-time favorite writer?
Again, I could never pick just one. Bradbury, Asimov and Heinlein are my holy trinity, but I’m always open to making it a quaternity.
5. How does your work in the environmental arena affect you as an editor?
It gives me a well-rounded science background that is particularly helpful for hard science fiction stories. It also gives me a good general knowledge base that comes in handy for any story. I get to save authors from making embarrassing mistakes. One author (I won’t say who) confused the Richter scale with the Fujita scale.
6. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Write every day, even if you never intend for it to be read by others. You don’t need to submit your first work for publication . . . or your second . . . or your third. Keep it fun until you have something that absolutely must be shared. Fan fiction is a great place to start and learn how to keep characters consistent. Also, get beta readers to review your work. I used to beta read fan fiction long before I became an editor. If you have writer’s block, read something. Immerse yourself in work you’d like to emulate. Now, a few words from my holy trinity:
“Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” ― Ray Bradbury
“What lasts in the reader’s mind is not the phrase but the effect the phrase created: laughter, tears, pain, joy. If the phrase is not affecting the reader, what’s it doing there? Make it do its job or cut it without mercy or remorse.” ― Isaac Asimov
7. How did you get started with Montag Press?
I was fresh out of college and looking for work I could do without a car or moving to a different city. Unlike many people my age, I wasn’t willing to leave my significant other behind for my career. I originally wanted to get involved in urban planning or public transportation, but the economy was terrible and all of my applications were being ignored. Then, I remembered that my UWP 104E (writing in the sciences) professor told me I had earned the only A in his course for that whole year. I tried freelance writing for a while, but I was so slow and meticulous that I soon realized I would be better as an editor. I found Montag Press looking for new members on Craigslist, and luckily they were in Davis at the time. It was all a matter of timing, really.
8. What is the most satisfying aspect of being an editor for a small press?
I get to work from home and manage my time as I see fit. As an environmentally conscious person, I could never justify driving somewhere every day to do something I can do on my computer at home. I also get to drink all the tea I want without having to remember to bring a re-usable cup to a coffee shop or waiting in line. I recently got a computer program that reads text aloud to me, and I can clean the house or work on crafts while listening to manuscripts. When I find a story I love, I have no trouble dropping everything else to work with it.
9. If you could pick one author to work with on a project, alive or dead, who would you choose?
As much as I’d like to pick all three of my favorites, I have to say Ray Bradbury. He has the most beautiful writing style in my opinion. It’s easy to correct grammar, but style is another matter.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
With my holy trinity, that leaves room for two more. I’ll invite the man who first introduced me to Isaac Asimov. If he’s reading this, he knows who he is, but I fear embarrassing him by mentioning his name because he no longer speaks to me, though I would take any opportunity to have him back in my life. He also introduced me to Watchmen by Alan Moore well before the movie came out. The fifth space goes to Lazarus Long, one of Robert Heinlein’s characters.
First, I tell the author what I noticed when I first read the manuscript. These are the largest issues such as plot holes or characters that need better development. Since I read it quickly the first time, there’s usually not much I have to say initially. After I have the contract, I’ll read it a second time more slowly to catch anything I overlooked. I’ll also point out any grammar issues I notice so I don’t forget about them later, but for the second read my focus is mainly on the characters and story. On the third read, I’ll examine each sentence individually and iron out any remaining kinks. A complete fourth read is usually not necessary, but I’ll do it if I feel the manuscript really needs it.
2. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’ve never understood the need to choose just one of anything, especially when it’s a lifelong decision. Books are like family and friends; they help us grow, and growing is a lifelong process. Ten years ago, I would have said “Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury. Five years ago, it would have been “Asimov’s Mysteries” by Isaac Asimov. Today, it’s “Time Enough For Love” by Robert Heinlein. All three books contain multiple life lessons that are near and dear to my heart.
3. What about a novel will catch your interest? What will turn you away from a novel?
I look for novels that are inspiring, either personally or generally. I like dynamic characters who take charge of their own lives or work to save the world. I’ve read several manuscripts where the protagonist sits in a mental institution feeling sorry for himself through all or most of the story and rejected them all. I think it’s great for a protagonist to spend some time in an institution, but he has to learn something from it and come out ready to face whatever put him there in the first place. Sometimes the institution is a literal one, and sometimes it’s figurative. Sometimes it’s physical and sometimes it’s all in the character’s head. Whatever the case, it’s an obstacle that needs to be overcome.
A good writing style is also important. Some authors put too much detail and some don’t use enough. Some of that can be fixed, but I won’t touch a story that’s wooden all the way through. Sometimes it’s just the dialogue that’s wooden, and that’s easy to fix because it can often be translated into indirect dialogue.
I open every manuscript expecting to reject it. That may sound harsh, but if it does not captivate me, there’s no way I could dedicate a month or more of my life to it. Still, I usually give each story a fair shot by reading it all the way to the end. I feel guilty rejecting a manuscript when I have not read the whole thing.
4. Who is your all-time favorite writer?
Again, I could never pick just one. Bradbury, Asimov and Heinlein are my holy trinity, but I’m always open to making it a quaternity.
5. How does your work in the environmental arena affect you as an editor?
It gives me a well-rounded science background that is particularly helpful for hard science fiction stories. It also gives me a good general knowledge base that comes in handy for any story. I get to save authors from making embarrassing mistakes. One author (I won’t say who) confused the Richter scale with the Fujita scale.
6. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Write every day, even if you never intend for it to be read by others. You don’t need to submit your first work for publication . . . or your second . . . or your third. Keep it fun until you have something that absolutely must be shared. Fan fiction is a great place to start and learn how to keep characters consistent. Also, get beta readers to review your work. I used to beta read fan fiction long before I became an editor. If you have writer’s block, read something. Immerse yourself in work you’d like to emulate. Now, a few words from my holy trinity:
“Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” ― Ray Bradbury
“What lasts in the reader’s mind is not the phrase but the effect the phrase created: laughter, tears, pain, joy. If the phrase is not affecting the reader, what’s it doing there? Make it do its job or cut it without mercy or remorse.” ― Isaac Asimov
7. How did you get started with Montag Press?
I was fresh out of college and looking for work I could do without a car or moving to a different city. Unlike many people my age, I wasn’t willing to leave my significant other behind for my career. I originally wanted to get involved in urban planning or public transportation, but the economy was terrible and all of my applications were being ignored. Then, I remembered that my UWP 104E (writing in the sciences) professor told me I had earned the only A in his course for that whole year. I tried freelance writing for a while, but I was so slow and meticulous that I soon realized I would be better as an editor. I found Montag Press looking for new members on Craigslist, and luckily they were in Davis at the time. It was all a matter of timing, really.
8. What is the most satisfying aspect of being an editor for a small press?
I get to work from home and manage my time as I see fit. As an environmentally conscious person, I could never justify driving somewhere every day to do something I can do on my computer at home. I also get to drink all the tea I want without having to remember to bring a re-usable cup to a coffee shop or waiting in line. I recently got a computer program that reads text aloud to me, and I can clean the house or work on crafts while listening to manuscripts. When I find a story I love, I have no trouble dropping everything else to work with it.
9. If you could pick one author to work with on a project, alive or dead, who would you choose?
As much as I’d like to pick all three of my favorites, I have to say Ray Bradbury. He has the most beautiful writing style in my opinion. It’s easy to correct grammar, but style is another matter.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
With my holy trinity, that leaves room for two more. I’ll invite the man who first introduced me to Isaac Asimov. If he’s reading this, he knows who he is, but I fear embarrassing him by mentioning his name because he no longer speaks to me, though I would take any opportunity to have him back in my life. He also introduced me to Watchmen by Alan Moore well before the movie came out. The fifth space goes to Lazarus Long, one of Robert Heinlein’s characters.
No comments have been added yet.
