The Carpe Annum Interviews: Nicci Jordan Hubert, Freelance Editor

We've declared 2013 as Carpe Annum--Seize the Year! It's our way of encouraging you as an artist/writer to find your own path, listen to your inner iconoclast, and be set free to explore your true writer/reader/human self.

We've handpicked authors and other industry professionals to come onto the blog and share their Carpe Annum experiences. This month we are thrilled to welcome Nicci Jordan Hubert to the blog. 

Nicci Jordan Hubert is a freelance editor based in New York City. She is the proud editor of several New York Times best-selling authors, and the equally proud editor of many more authors who plug away every day, without the glory.

(Full discloser: Nicci was my [Bonnie's] editor on Talking to the Dead, and we've remained in touch since that intense, hilarious time.)

Novel Matters: The theme this year on Novel Matters is Carpe Annum: Seize the Year! Tell us about a turning-point time in your journey in publishing when you took hold of your career. 

What did that look like? 

Nicci Jordan Hubert: You know, I have many flaws, but taking charge isn’t one of them. Or rather, maybe it is. I’d argue that taking charge is something I do a little too easily. Just ask my husband.

Anyway, I can think of two turning points.

Since college (which now seems forever ago), I knew what I wanted. Not specifically, but I knew that I wanted to be in charge. As a publishing intern, that meant announcing to my bosses in a meeting—with several other interns in attendance—that I was determined to work with them permanently, that I wanted to run the place someday. Later, as a new editorial assistant, and as a result of the “entitlement generation,” I made it clear that making copies was not something I would agree to for long. My bosses must have chuckled incredulously behind my back—the audacity! What I hadn’t anticipated was that, although I was a smart kid, it couldn’t make up for my lack of work ethic—I was an assistant and I would have to pay my dues. After almost getting fired for what boils down to total arrogance, I took charge in a new way: I began to work hard and learn the ins and outs of publishing. I decided that whatever I’d gleaned from a liberal arts education wasn’t enough. I had to become a publishing expert. I started coming in early and staying late. Soon enough, I was promoted to senior editor of a new, burgeoning imprint. I was 24.

NM: My hat is off, Nicci. By age 24, I’d learned exactly nothing. What happened after that turning point?

NJH: A couple years after that incredible experience, I was hired as at one of the largest publishing houses in the world, located in NYC. It was a dream come true… until my first day of work. It would be only a matter of days before I learned that the woman and executive editor I worked for was that woefully stereotypical NY editor: cruel, unhelpful, and sabotaging.  After only about half a year, I left my post at the house, took a job as a receptionist at an Upper East Side day spa, and swore off publishing forever. It was, undoubtedly, a turning point.

NM: A head spinning turning point. First you dig in, then you have to bail just to save your sanity. You didn’t stay away from the world of publishing for long, though.

NJH: Some things are just in your blood, are they not? For some reason, I can’t seem to escape publishing. Not even a year after I quit the publishing house, I secured a freelance editing gig that would change my career forever. Nearly ten years later, I am still working as a freelance editor, and now I edit for just about every major publishing house in the industry.

NM: Just the sort of editor every hopeful writer wants to work with. What is the process for an author to come under your direction as their editor?

NJH: Unfortunately, I do not typically accept clients who haven’t been given a publishing or agent contract. There are a few reasons for that. Number one: I hate charging people whose chances of getting published are slim. Number two—and this is the brutal truth: amateur authors often require a heavier hand, a longer editorial process—in other words, much more work from me. And since I can’t convince myself to charge an individual more than a publishing house, I end up working a lot harder for a lot less money. That being said, it brings me a great sense of joy when an author requests me to be their editor, once they’re signed. Other than by author request, I am usually hired by the editorial staff, who pair me with the authors and projects they believe are good fits.

NM: Publishing is changing on every front. What is the biggest change you've noticed in the last few years? 

NJH: Publishing has changed dramatically, to be sure. But to be honest, I’m on the sidelines. As a freelance editor, I’m not in those meetings where the discussion about digitalization and social media takes place. My job—my only job—is to help authors make their books the best they can be. And that process will never change.

Which is what I tell people when they ask me what I think about the future of publishing (which almost never happens, by the way…. Most people don’t care about my freelancer opinion…). I suggest that although the medium may change, the relationship between authors and readers will never change. There is no “end of books.” Books will live forever, of course, whether they’re read on paper, an iPhone screen, futuristic computer-glasses, or perhaps some kind of cool osmosis process.

NM: As an editor, what are always hoping to see when a book crosses your desk? Can you spot a book that has the "it" factor?  

NJH: Almost every editor will tell you that we can spot whether a book is publishable or not within the first 50 pages. Typically, we’re looking for either that “it” factor, or, better yet, just a great book.

NM: Writers tend to hate that phrase because we all think we’re writing a great book. But you mean something specific, right?

NJH: A great book is simply something that’s well conceived and well written. But the “it” factor, that’s a different story entirely. Of course, a classic example is the Twilight series. I devoured Twilight in one sitting, as I’m sure many of you did. I loved it (of course the rest of the series is another matter). But was Twilight a great book? Not really, right? But it certainly had that “it” factor. Which explains why some books, like Twilight, have not only been published but have gone on to sell bazillions of copies. It’s the greatest mystery of publishing.

NM: As much as it drives us all mad, we love the mystery of it all. I think that is what drives so much of the industry; chasing after the mysterious “One”, that novel that will capture the imagination of millions of readers. Should hopeful writers nurture that part of their craft?

NJH: Although there are certainly writers who have “that something” that simply can’t be taught—writers who manage to tap into that it factor without even trying—for those of you who are still aspiring writers, I’d like to suggest you don’t try to go that route. I hate to tell you this, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ve got a barnburner on your hands. You might, but it’s doubtful. You might be the kind of writer whose writing is magical. But you’re probably not; I hate to tell you.

NM: Just give us a moment while we breathe deeply into a paper bag. We. Can. Recover. From. Horrid. Truth. 

Okay. Back on wobbly legs. What if we’re not magical? What if we can't find our unicorn? What’s left for us?

NJH: If you really want to be a successful writer, there are no short cuts. Okay, if you’re related to a celebrity, you’ll have an easier time getting published, but for the rest of you… There is only one path to becoming a good writer: Reading lots of good books. Studying the craft of writing. Practicing writing a lot. Self-editing ruthlessly. And seeking out honest feedback.

NM: Do the work, ask people to kick our butts. Feedback is so often a butt kicking, right? Do we really need it? Isn't it just confusing to a writer's relationships?

NJH: The honest feedback part is important. Don’t ask your friends to edit your work, of course, and make sure the people you do ask have a sense for what makes a good book and will tell you the truth about your work. The last thing you want is to be one of those contestants on American Idol whose best friends told them they were amazing and, yet, they sound like a hyena who just got shot.  Right?

NM: Kapow! (That’s Bonnie imitating a gunshot in a desperate and lame attempt to ease the tension that Nic’s truthful answers are producing.)

NJH: One of Stephen King’s classic lines from On Writing goes, “…while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.
” Take that advice to heart, and you will either see your dreams fulfilled, or you will save yourself a lot of time and hardship.

That’s a long answer to a short question. So here’s the short answer: the “it” factor that editors are looking for is a book that is either excellent or magical… or both.

NM: I’m just going to go over to the corner here, and have a little cry.

NJH: So don’t. Cut. Corners.

NM: One of the many reasons I love working with you, Nicci, is your ability to tell the truth (even if it stings a little), and your ability to lead by following. You never told me what to do with my story, instead, you offered ideas, you led gently, and when I hit on what I knew would work for the story, you dug in and made it shine. I recall an early morning phone call (someone had forgotten the two hour time difference) after we’d finished the edits on Talking to the Dead, but you were up early rethinking several small but important issues in the manuscript. I recall sitting in bed (it was that early), rather dazed (I repeat, it was that early) and thinking: She’s every kind of brilliant. What kinds of influences do you credit for developing your skills, instincts, and talent as an editor?

NJH: Influences? Well, there are the people I give ALL the credit to in terms of my success. Dan Rich, Terry Behimer, Don Pape, Beth Adams. Then, there are the books I’ve read. The Shining. Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Pride and Prejudice. Franny and Zooey. The Poisonwood Bible. The Time Traveler’s Wife. Life of Pi. Wild. Genre be damned, these books taught me about literary magic.

In terms of instincts, I credit God for that one. I’ve had to trust my gut—along with my experience—in every project I’ve done. Most of the time, it works out okay.

NM: You're a Carpe Annum woman—I know you jump into every year full of enthusiasm and drive. What are you doing this year to seize the year, professionally, personally, or both?

NJH: Well I don’t know if I jump into every year full of enthusiasm. It’s more like fear and trembling. Will I get enough jobs to sustain me financially? Will I continue to grow as an editor? Will my stock rise? A typical NY transplant, I am ambitious to a fault. We’ll see how this year goes. As my best publishing friends here in NY say, “We’re Big in 2013.” 

Thanks so much, Nicci, for taking time to appear on the blog today!

Well, dear reader/friend, have you recovered from the interview? There's nothing like a kick in the truth to motivate a writer. I know that every word from Nicci is delivered with love: love for writers, for readers, and for books.

Thoughts? Reactions? 

Just Because It’s Not Wrong Doesn’t Make It Right

Bonnie’s post on Monday made me want to stretch my literary wings. I guess as I grow older I’m beginning to think there is no reason why I shouldn’t wear the colors I want to wear and cut my own hair and make my own yogurt and write recklessly.

But you have to take the consequences of navy blue and brown; you have to live (at least temporarily) with your own scissors’ results; you have to respect the sensibilities of active cultures.

And in order to take literary risks, you have to know where the boundaries are. What you’re going to push up against before you start shoving.

I had a friend who wrote a hilarious weekly column for a small local newspaper called “Chronicles of a Married Man.” He was married to a loveable nut case so it wasn’t hard to come up with material. And he managed, with the help of an editor and his own “secret weapon,” to write articulately.

An English teacher at a nearby high school invited him to speak to her writing class. Since he was published, she reasoned, he would tell the kids that what she was teaching them was going to pay off eventually. Grammar could turn into greenbacks. That’ll motivate them, she thought. (And I think she had starry-eyed visions of kids writing her “if only I’d known I would have honored you sooner” testimonial letters. Or repenting publicly. Or something.)

I fictionalized the incident, calling my friend Al, in my novel, Latter-day Cipher:

He would be treated as an alumnus dignitary, the teacher promised. He could regale them with stories about writing. They’d have cookies. He could autograph copies of his articles they would have printed.

Despite Al’s protests to the teacher that his writing methods were unorthodox and that she wouldn’t really want him teaching her class, the teacher cajoled, threatened and guilted him into coming.

“How to write.” Al began his presentation to a group of lounging bodies strung like drying seaweed across the desks.“I start typing in whatever I think. Then I go get a drink. Then I come back.”

Eyelids opened a bit.

“I type some more. Then I do my editing with the colors, then I’m done.”

The teacher waved an arm from the back of the class. “Edit with the colors? That sounds interesting, right, class?”

Al could hear the soft snore of a teenager whose face was buried in his arms atop a desk.

“Yeah. With the colors. You know, when you use a word processing program, all the misspelled words have red lines under them. I fix those first.”

“But what about the structure? Topic sentence and supports?”

Heads turned toward the teacher who took this revival as signs of interest. “We learned about topic sentences, right class? And grammar?”

She looked again at Al. “Do you use an outline?”

“Nope.”

The class became small undulations across the room.

“You don’t use an outline?”

The teacher’s voice had a crease of irritation in it.

“Nope.”“Okay, go on about the colors.”

“Well, anything that’s not grammatically correct shows up with a green line under it. I just keep typing in stuff or taking out stuff until the green lines go away.”

“Cookies anyone?”

You see the problem, don’t you? I mean, we’re novelists. We know that just because you get rid of all the grammatical errors doesn’t mean you will end up with compelling writing. My friend had such a kooky wife that all he had to do was just relate her escapades. But as he’s the first to admit after trying for years to crank out book-length fiction, just having a grammatically-correct story doesn’t mean you can sustain a novel.

We know, don’t we? That’s why we keep looking for shades of navy blue that will go with brown. That’s why we take the haircutting – and self-editing – risks. And that’s why we have learned to respect the incubation of time, why we don’t send off a novel until we’ve let it sit and culture --or curdle.

I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. What rule-bending risks do you take?

Editing your novel: Notes from the frontline

Please excuse my uncombed hair, how my teeth match my fuzzy socks, the way I seem to be winking when my indirect gaze falls near you—it’s just a twitch—the spaghetti sauce stain on my shirt. You see I’m editing my novel.

These sharp teeth of mine, the ones that have stricken some of you with sickish, curious fear, have been doing their work on my own thin bones. Cannibalistic as that sounds, it’s all for the best. I can inflict my furious red pen on others, but it’s all spitting into the wind if I can’t turn that same pen toward myself.

I am reddened, my friends.

Let me stagger closer, collapse in the nearest chair, and begin by asking a question, and then tossing my experience into the fray. Here is the question: What is editing?

My experience: Editing is letting go of the childish notion that excellence in any way resembles good enough.

Says who?

In my case, ‘who’ is my agent. An astute reader, who, I am sure, dons a cape each morning and flies above the streets of New York City performing feats of pure heroics for the benefit of writers like me. But not only writers. A good agent works for writers, a great one also works on behalf of readers. She analyzes a manuscript looking for the best possible reading experience. And then she talks to the writer about how certain changes in the manuscript can fulfill it’s reading potential. My agent, Claudia, is one of these.

She said, “Bonnie, I think we’re 90% there.” (There is that sweet spot, the giddy good place that makes publishers take notice.) “But, with some changes, I believe we can get closer to 98%.” She had my attention. 90% is good enough. Which we know isn’t good enough.

She pointed out two changes. Two. Such a small number. But this is a novel, and even one change is connected to a hundred others. Two becomes two hundred. I listened closely, and as she spoke it became clear: she is right. Brilliantly, utterly, maddeningly right. I must make the changes. One is an addition. The second is a subtraction. In all, I suspect the changes will mean writing another 15,000 words (give or take), while editing out an existing 300.

How will I accomplish this edit? Here’s my checklist:

1) Listen to people who are smarter than I am (in my case that means my agent, and my brilliant friend Sharon Souza who also read the manuscript. When I finished talking to my agent, I arranged to talk to Sharon via Skype to check her experience against Claudia’s. They matched perfectly).

2) Ask focused, germane questions. As Claudia and Sharon each shared their reading experience with me, I asked questions about theme and plot. I didn’t ask if they liked my writing, or if they noticed this or that clever twist. I centered my questions on their impressions and experience, not what I had hoped they noticed.

3) Make detailed notes. I took notes throughout both conversations, capturing Claudia’s and Sharon’s thoughts, and adding my own ideas to the mix here and there. Both of them sent me follow up emails with their thoughts reiterated. Very helpful.

4) Create a game plan before jumping into edits. I took months to plan the novel before I started to write, and I need to take some time (not months!) to plan how to work the edits organically. In my case, it is made easier because I have detailed plans of how the story is structured, therefore I can start tinkering within a day or so.

5) Read the manuscript again before writing new scenes or drastically editing others. In my case, because the majority of edits is happening in the last half of the novel, I’ve printed out and read those chapters for a couple of reasons: a) rereading will ensure my edits maintain and heighten the voice of the novel, b) I’ll be sure to pick up any dropped threads of character, plot, or theme that aren’t addressed in my notes, but need to be to keep the edits organic.

6) Be kind. Writing is re-writing. I need to be ruthless about the changes, not with myself. So, I turn my furious red pen to my writing, but buy myself some flowers.

Now, please excuse me as I go in search of my notes. And a toothbrush.

Got a story from the frontline? Stagger over and share!

Speaking the Language

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon shopping at our local Ikea. We bought a samla, a tokig, a nackten and some adorable yrsni. Translation: storage container, salad spinner, bathmat, Christmas ornaments. Earlier in the year, I picked up some items for work and when I submitted the receipt to our finance office, it was returned to me with a note: “What in the world did you purchase? I can’t read this receipt.” I've noticed that Ikea now provides an abbreviated form of English beside the Swedish name on the receipts for easier identification.

It’s a good idea to speak your customer’s language.

It reminds me of some explaining I had to do once on a passage of a manuscript during the editing stage. The scene was a crowded aquarium where the characters were “dodging baby strollers and munchkins.” I was referring to the babies as ‘munchkins,’ but apparently Munchkins are also doughnut holes from Dunkin Donuts (which I did not know) and I sent the wrong message. I can see the visual I created: babies with a messy floor beneath their strollers. It made sense. Dunkin Donuts was relatively unknown on the West Coast at the time, and I was clueless. They allowed me to leave it in anyway.

It is difficult to write from our own experiences and perspectives and remain aware of the universality of the words we choose. Word choices differ between social groups, age groups, regions, cultures and countries. As readers, we generally figure them out. We've seen enough James Bond to know the boot of the car in Britain is the trunk in America, and the bonnet is the hood. The same goes for Australia, as I understand it. Consider carbonated beverages. Depending on where you're from in the United States, you may refer to them as soda, pop or Coke (which is used generically for every brand). Canada calls it pop, also (Bonnie, correct me if I'm wrong). In America, you may have a 'pot luck' whereas in Britain you may call it 'Dutch treat' or in Australia say 'bring a plate.' My sister's new neighbor came over to borrow a round of wool which my sister came to realize meant a spool of thread.

As I said, as readers we generally figure out the meaning or we gloss over the words that aren't crucial to the story. At least, we hope they're not crucial. But it's the writer's job to keep that 'hitch' from happening or at least minimize the downtime before the reader is sailing along again.

The writer of historicals will necessarily use the jargon of the times but sometimes a bit of explanation is helpful. For example, you wouldn't write, "She placed the coins in her reticule which is like a purse" but you might say, "She dropped the coins into her beaded reticule and pulled the drawstring tight." Likewise, if you're writing about a particular locale, you need to include some dialect for authenticity, but not so much that it slows down the pace of the story or muddies the understanding of a critical point.

It is imperative to have trusted readers give us honest feedback before we submit our manuscripts, to ensure that we are speaking the language of our readers wherever possible.

Have you been stumped by a word or phrase that prevented your understanding of a story? Does it enhance or detract when you find a word or phrase that requires that you deduce the meaning from the story?

Editing the Novel's Opening-A Novel Matters Video

The take home message of this video:

1) Just start writing. At some point after the planning, you must start writing. It's important to remember you will come back and change your beginning.

2) Editing happens. Editing is a part of the creative process, not something that happens outside of it. You are supposed to make changes. They are supposed to be big. It's normal.

3) Be kind to yourself. Kill the darlings in your manuscript when editing. Don't kill yourself! You haven't missed the mark simply because you needed to make big changes. You're just finding the perfect path to tell the story.

4) Share your thoughts about writing a novel's beginning!

5 Things to Consider Before You Spend Time Editing

Congratulations to William & Kate on a beautiful wedding! Best wishes & God bless your marriage.

Sharon, thanks for that great link you posted on Wednesday for the ten mistakes writers don’t see. I’ve read a few of the books that were quoted and the author put names to the things that were vague or just didn’t settle well when I read them. Smart guy.

I would say that there are a few basic questions that need answering before a writer invests a lot of time line editing a manuscript. To begin, put the manuscript away. Let it cool off. A really long time. Resist the urge to peek. When so much time has passed that you hardly recognize it, take the manuscript to a neutral setting and read it through all at once. As you read, consider these questions:

• Does the story begin in the right place? Back story has no place at the front. If the action begins too quickly, we may not know enough about the protagonist to care what is happening. Is there a good hook in the opening?
• Are there too many characters? Does the reader have trouble keeping them straight? Are some characters too similar? Are any clichéd?
• Did you use the best POV? Just to make sure, write a chapter from another character’s viewpoint. Is it an improvement? Does it add an interesting dimension to the story?
• Is the setting real? Readers need to be grounded in the setting, both in the story overall and in each scene. Will readers ask if it’s a real place?
• Is the story feasible or contrived? Is the story based on coincidence? Unless it’s a story about coincidence, it won’t have credibility. Does the hero/heroine solve the issue on his/her own or are they rescued?

When you’re certain these five questions have been answered, start work on the micro corrections like grammar, punctuation, spelling and word choice. When it is so polished that you can see your reflection in it (gosh, I look older – how long ago did this whole process begin?) put it away AGAIN. Let it cool.

Now it’s time for the last read-through. This time, you’re looking for any passage, sentence or word that causes you to stumble, even in your head voice. It could be an awkward sentence or an unfamiliar word or one that paints a dissonant word picture. Be dispassionate. Be ruthless. If something causes your reader to stop and consider, they may decide to put the book down and make tea. And making tea, they may realize they are hungry and get out a box of macaroni and cheese. And when they look for milk, they realize the carton has passed its expiration date and decide to make a grocery list. So they pull out the cookbook their daughter gave them and start perusing recipes so they can list ingredients on the grocery list, and – well, you get the picture. If you give a mouse a cookie… Don’t give the reader that cookie, or, er, whatever.

Eventually you have to stop editing and submit the manuscript. How do you know when it's time? Well, how about you?

Teeth and Bones Editing Contest: Is Editing Worth All the Pain?

Several weeks ago Novel Matters held the Teeth and Bones Editing Contest - and Ellen was our

winner. Since that time, she's been through some intense stuff. As I promised in the contest, it was truly
my teeth on her bones. It hurt. Lots.

I don't relish that fact. But I am so proud of Ellen. She's taken her story to a whole new level (and it didn't happen in one sweet leap, either. It was more like a long trek up Mount Everest), and I couldn't be more proud of her.

The truth is, writing is difficult. It takes a level of dedication and creativity that is more rare than it may seem to the casual observer. A typical conversation I have with people who tell me they have a novel in the m:
Person: I want to be a writer.

Me: Are you crazy?

Person: You wr ite.

Me: Yeah, but I'm crazy.

Here's Ellen's own words about the editing process she's been through.

The substantive editing process has been enlightening and . . . stressful.

The first week I struggled to absorb Bonnie’s instruction concerning concept, central moral problem, storyteller and characterization. I wrote a new beginning to define some of these elements and attacked the synopsis, the third such rewrite and not the last, altered some plot points, pondered one major concept that was called into question (decided to keep it, but with a backup plan) and learned more about the central moral problem of my hero.

Week two, I hit bottom, cried and moaned “I-don’t-have-what-it-takes,” then got back on the keyboard, found additional resources online and redid that synopsis (that hadn’t made synopsis status yet), deliberated over my hero’s faults (to be real, he had to have some) and submitted the new synopsi s and ch.1.

Week three, Bonnie applied the line edit and I found myself in a sea of red. Really, really thought I might drown. Hours of rethinking later, I had a new improved ch.1, original ch.1 now ch.2, more plot points defined (why didn’t I think of these before?) and that troublesome synopsis in rewrites four, fiv e, then six.

Week four, I submitted the edited ch. 1and hooray! It passed muster. At week’s end, I submitted the edited and retooled synopsis. Will it make the cut? Still wading through that sea of red on what is now chapter 2. I have a new list of scenes to write and realize I’m only one third through my novel, not half way, especially when I finish applying the ed iting process.

I am very thankful to have had this opportunity. It’s been an extreme learning experience and timely. More than ever, I’m sold on the idea of crafting a synopsis before writing the story. Hopefully, my writing has improved a notch and will reflect the new skills I’ve learned. Perhaps most important, I’ve learned to be flexible and open to alternatives throughout the writing process. I am in awe of each of you writers that has undergone this process multiple times.

So, Ellen is off and running with her new story, right? Uh. Not so much. It's been a week or so since she wrote these paragraphs, and in that time she sent me a new synopsis to read. I was nearly 3/4 of the way through the synopsis before I read a couple of lines that really got me. And I thought, "THIS is where the story starts!" I wrote Ellen, asking her to please not hate me, BUT, I think the novel should start much, much later into the story than she had planned. Oh, and if she agreed with me, then the novel would have a different theme, plot, and character arc.

Ellen is a trooper. She spent some time fiddling with my ideas and agreed. Suddenly, after so much work, so much planning, thinking, changing, crying, praying, planning and rethinking, we were on to something that both of us got pretty excited about. A story to really sink your teeth into. In many ways, it's a different story than she had first started to write. In other ways, it's the same story (at least in terms of the background and the characters and certain events).

Wan t a sample of the changes and growth Ellen has experienced? Absolutely! Here is the original first paragraphs Ellen submitted to me. Right after is Ellen's edited work with the new direction of the novel.

The young boy snapped awake, the pinching grip on his shoulder roughly yanking him from his deep sleep. The bed jerked under the kick of a booted foot as a voice in the dark snapped. “Five minutes!”

W e’re going hunting. Great. Patrick jumped from his bed. It wouldn’t bode well for him if he caused father to wait. Not that he was his real dad. No, this was his stepdad. And having a peaceful day with him meant… how did mom put it? Stepping on egg shells. Yes, you just did what you were told to do and hoped it would be enough…to avoid a whipping.

And the new beginning:

The handwritten missive began, ‘My Precious One.’ A chill swept his body through rising anguish. He plunged on reading words of proposed comfort that assaulted him like hot coals. The final words, Abba Father, crumpled in his fist as he wadded the letter and threw it on the floor. Decision made, his heart was as stone, hardened to both his past and his future, the present now irrelevant.

With eyes red and swollen from his earlier grief, Patrick plunged his heel onto the balled letter, stomping and shredding as hate shredded his heart, cries of denial filling the room.

“Never. NEVER. I do NOT accept you as my Father. Leave me be.” The words screamed from his mouth. “I DENY YOU. I DENY YOUR RIGHT TO ME, GOD. LEAVE ME ALONE.”

He did not stop until he was hoarse.

He’d expected to find that letter waiting for him. As always, it had been simply addressed Patrick. When he walked away, the letter lay in pieces on the floor.

So, in the end, we have a new beginning. And I know the journey is far from over for Ellen, but she's on a bright (exhausting) track.
What do you think? Do you have the dig in deep gumption it takes to be a writer? Do you think your bones can stand the editor's teeth? You'll soon have another opportunity to find out. :)
Mean time, please take a minute to offer your warm thoughts for Ellen, and to share with us your thoughts (fears?), and hopes for an editing process of your own.

That Character Must Die!

Teeth and Bones Editing Contest:


We have a winner!


We had over 100 entries for the contest. We're grateful for all the entries. And keep watching the Novel Matters blog as we will be holding more contests like this one from time to time. We love offering these happy surprises to our readers. 


The winner of the Teeth and Bone Editing Contest (chosen from a hat by Bonnie's son)  is: 
Ellen Staley!


Congratulations, Ellen! You can e-mail Bonnie at our gmail address (in the contact section) for instructions on the next step. 
Hurray!



I happen to be one of those writers who loves to hear an editor say: "You have to kill off Joe and make Mary tons more empathetic. And that Sue doesn't step up to the plate. Consolidate her and those three other characters into one. Hey, have you considered making your protagonist a guy?"

(I also get my lip waxed. Keep that in mind.)

This is the truth of the matter--an editor won't ask you to make changes unless s/he is completely committed to the story and believes you're up to the task of making it sing. You want your editor to sharpen his red pencil. It's painful, but having an editor step alongside will help you write a story that will last.

And that's what we want, isn't it?

I've never trusted a critique partner who couldn't rip my writing apart. I figure the manuscript is beyond help, if they don't offer suggestions. I sure wouldn't trust an editor like that either. (I've never met an editor like this, but I've heard they lurk within the golden halls of the NYC publishing scene.) In fact, I edit my stories with every reading, even after publication!

And I love the challenge of revision from editorial notes in a I-will-climb-Mt. Everest-in-my-flip-flops sort of way. No, it's not a trip to Disney World, but it's a cognitive thrill ride that tests me. After all, I've spent the better part of a year writing my story. I want it to go off to the presses ready to please readers. More truthfully, I don't want to embarrass myself. Editors make me look much better than I am. For that, I love them.

Here's an example. If you haven't read The Queen of Sleepy Eye yet, please read the remaining part of this post through your fingers.

I submitted a proposal to sell Queen. Everyone knows stories can take on lives of their own once the writing process starts. In the synopsis, I killed off a character. By the time that part of the story came around in the manuscript, I loved my character too much. He didn't deserve to die. The story world was a better place because of him. My editor didn't think so. His editorial notes looked like this:

HE

MUST DIE!!!!!

My editor was right. I rewrote the last 25% of the novel, killing off my sweet character as originally planned. The story was stronger. The ending more satisfying and much sadder.

After the last two weeks, I think we agree that we need editors and heavy edits are a blessing rather than a curse. It's Friday. We're all edited out, so let's have some fun and give you a chance to enter the contest. So, what will you send your editor for Christmas this year? No budget. No size limit. Be generous.

It Only Hurts for a Little While

There are only 13 days left to submit your chapter and synopsis to our Audience-with-an-Agent Contest. Lori Benton was just offered a contract for representation from Wendy Lawton as a result of our first contest. Don't miss out!

~

Editing is painful.

Let’s hold hands and repeat that together, “Editing is painful.”

Editing is when we take off our writer glasses and put on our reader glasses.

On Wednesday, Sharon advised a break between writing and editing your work. A couple of weeks, or more. Why? Because it takes weeks to pry those writer glasses off your face. Only time will help you forget what you meant to say, and see what you actually said.

The space between have written and reading with fresh eyes is a painful leap. It means letting go of your work and approaching it with with the dispassion of the marketplace. Word weeding, yes, but also being frank about what doesn’t work in the story. We’re talking painful on the level of major surgery.

Mentally and emotionally, the author divorces herself from the work. It’s no longer a love relationship. It’s the cold stare of the clinician. Wimpy character? Scalpel! Unrealistic plot twist? Call in orthopedics! Cliched ending? Crack open those ribs - it’s time for a heart transplant!

And then, having discovered what is wrong with the novel, one must have the chops to address it. Change it. Re-write it. How far are you willing to go to take your story from good to great? Five thousand words? Ten? More, I hope.

When writing my debut, Talking to the Dead, I was asked to write a sequel. I was forty thousand words into that sequel when my editor said, “We need to make Talking to the Dead a stand alone.” She had lots of reasons. All of them correct. We made the novel a stand alone. Oh, and while we were at it, the ending didn’t work any more. Between rewrites and the scraped sequel the word count on the chopping block topped sixty thousand.

Did I mention editing is painful?

How many of those words do I regret editing? Zero. It was worth all the pain, all the effort it took to view my work through the glasses of a reader, rather than a writer.

Anais Nin said, “We write to taste life twice.”

If that it true, then editing is tasting the same bit of life seven nights a week for months. You don’t quit until the flavor is exquisite.

So, let us embrace the painful truth of editing. We can and will achieve brilliance, but not the first time we set our pen to paper. Brilliance comes only with intentional effort.

"Will you tell me my fault, frankly as to yourself, for I had rather wince, than die. Men do not call the surgeon to commend the bone, but to set it, Sir." ~Emily Dickinson

Do you have a surgical scar to share? What bones have been set in your writing? What has helped you face the cold hard facts about your work and then be able to set it straight?