I’m working on the line edits for my teen novel, Solitary. What that means is that I’m going through rereading the manuscript and seeing what my editor has done to the story. There are a few story issues that needed addressing, but most of what I’m doing is making sure the edits to the story are okay (do they fit, if something’s changed does it sound like my voice, etc.).
My editor makes notes throughout the story–sometimes explaining why something doesn’t work, sometimes chiding me in a good-natured way, sometimes highlighting a sentence or a scene that she enjoys.
I just read a paragraph which she said she loved in the notes. Here it is:
I know now the reason filmmakers make people do stupid things in movies. Because in real life, people do do stupid things. People run ahead when they really should run away. People open the door when it should always, always remain shut. People enter the room when they really should exit the building.
Obviously you have to read that in context of the story. My point in sharing it is this: it’s nice to know what works.
Sometimes when editors do their job so well and focus on all the parts of a story that don’t work, they forget to share what does work. It can leave an author wondering if they liked anything at all in the story.
I try to learn as I go through edits. I learn not only by the things that need cutting and tweaking but also by the things that don’t. By the things that work well.
I’m glad to be thrown a bone every now and then!