So far the only editorial editing I've had was on T&C where PNH wanted me to write an extra chapterlet to make the attitude to culling clearer, so I did, which also meant amending a couple of paragraphs in another chapter.
This is interesting. I think in my case, with my first novel, my first editor was essentially both my workshop and my beta-reader; I value the opinions of my spouse highly -- but there's a nagging little voice that feels that anything complimentary is perhaps not objective -- so all of the stuff that one would probably glean from either workshops or first-readers (which, for a specific value of first-reader is to me almost identitical), I was given through books 1-3 by said editor.
That, and she was a fabulous line-editor, from which I also learned much.
I have a writer friend who said, with some astonishment, that I probably learned to write novels while being published <wry g>. I think there is more truth to this than there should be, and such a situation could probably only arise at Lester del Rey's stomping grounds.
I don't know how I'd deal with "this character doesn't work".
I asked a lot of questions <rueful g>. Mostly to ascertain why, or what specifically was missing. My first novel is nowhere near as good as KING'S PEACE, imo, so there's probably a reason why you've never had to deal with this question; I haven't had to deal with it in a long time -- but I really did have to struggle with the editorial process at the beginning.
That and -- people who know me can laugh now -- I was terrified of looking either stupid or dorky or grossly unprofessional in front of the person who was going to publish my first novel, and whenever I have to look "good" I freeze in the headlights, suddenly uncertain of what I'm supposed to say. Much easier, all round, to be myself.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2004-08-27 07:16 am (UTC)This is interesting. I think in my case, with my first novel, my first editor was essentially both my workshop and my beta-reader; I value the opinions of my spouse highly -- but there's a nagging little voice that feels that anything complimentary is perhaps not objective -- so all of the stuff that one would probably glean from either workshops or first-readers (which, for a specific value of first-reader is to me almost identitical), I was given through books 1-3 by said editor.
That, and she was a fabulous line-editor, from which I also learned much.
I have a writer friend who said, with some astonishment, that I probably learned to write novels while being published <wry g>. I think there is more truth to this than there should be, and such a situation could probably only arise at Lester del Rey's stomping grounds.
I don't know how I'd deal with "this character doesn't work".
I asked a lot of questions <rueful g>. Mostly to ascertain why, or what specifically was missing. My first novel is nowhere near as good as KING'S PEACE, imo, so there's probably a reason why you've never had to deal with this question; I haven't had to deal with it in a long time -- but I really did have to struggle with the editorial process at the beginning.
That and -- people who know me can laugh now -- I was terrified of looking either stupid or dorky or grossly unprofessional in front of the person who was going to publish my first novel, and whenever I have to look "good" I freeze in the headlights, suddenly uncertain of what I'm supposed to say. Much easier, all round, to be myself.
Well, okay, easier on me <wry g>.