Show Some Improvement
By Linda Yezak
My thirty-something grandson
indie-published his first novel for the mainstream market this year. What an
honor for me to be his mentor and editor. What a thrill to see his first book
cover. His first book. His first royalty check, tiny though it was.
I try to help all my clients
overcome some of their weaknesses, and my favorite clients usually show
improvement so their manuscripts don’t look quite like the car wreck in the
image each time they send me a new one. Soon, certain things in both the
creative and mechanics sides of writing become second nature, and they’re able
to do them without thinking. For instance, once the idea of using the senses to
help with the setting sinks in, some write them in without thought. Head-hopping
goes away. A balance is struck between action and emotion.
I’m not saying they’ll no longer
need an editor. There will always be ways to improve, but the car will have
fewer dings and dents from one manuscript to the next.
And that’s what I wanted for JP,
for him to take what I taught him and implement it. But if he read it at all,
it seemed to go in one eye and out the other. His second manuscript was worse
than the first, probably because he knew Grandma would fix it for him.
“When the day comes you actually
have to pay for an edit,” I warned him, “you’ll be far better off financially
sending a polished manuscript than paying someone to doctor what you sent at
$40/hour.”
Like so many new authors, he just
wants to get his story down. He just wants to write. Until the lightbulb turns
on in his head, how much better his writing would be if he paid attention to his
editor’s advice. I guess I’ll keep trying to teach him. Gotta save that boy
some money any way I can.
Photo courtesy of Linda Yezak as seen on Facebook. Author unknown.
Linda W. Yezak lives with her husband and their funky feline, PB, in a forest in deep East Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She has a deep and abiding love for her Lord, her family, and salted caramel. And coffee—with a caramel creamer. Author of award-winning books and short stories, she didn't begin writing professionally until she turned fifty. Taking on a new career every half century is a good thing.
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