I don’t think I want to be an editor
This is hard work! I have completed the fifth sample out of the eight I have to read and critique for the Writer’s Workshop at DragonCon next week. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
The first one I read was gobbity goop garbage. It tried to combine genres that do not fit together: zombies, magic, heroes, hell hounds. All of those made a showing in the short three chapter sample. The second sample I read was so polished and engaging I’m not sure why she’s taking this beginner’s workshop. Send the sample to an agent; you’re a shoe-in! I did not want to put the sample down. I find myself imagining what happens next I was so absorbed into the story.
The other three have been average stories. Some written better than others. Some with good story lines. Some with no focus. Some with numerous grammatical issues making the reader completely distracted.
As I read the samples sent, I can’t help but edit as I go along. I have a confession. I am a paper-waster. I printed the writings and have been going through them with a black pen. I know I can do this kind of thing electronically, but there’s something about the tactile nature of pen to paper that makes the process more palatable to me. (Could I put anymore “p'” into that sentence?) Hopefully, I’ll figure out how to accomplish the virtual editing before my book is complete. It’s already 101 pages and I’m only on chapter eleven. Bah!
I hope my critiques are formatted the way Jody Lynn Nye wants them. I’m trying to be thorough and truthful without being mean (which was incredibly difficult on that first sample). On the review I last completed, I had to be creative to FIND something I could be positive about.
I re-read Nye’s instructions and she stresses being positive. I have no more experience than anyone else attending this seminar and might have quite a bit less; I feel grossly uncomfortable giving my opinions. I do NOT want to hurt anyone’s feelings as the fledgling writers pursue their dream, but I don’t want to tell them I LOVED the story when I had to force myself to finish it. I definitely do NOT want to be an editor.
If you want to read about a powerful witch who doesn’t care at all what other people think, I recommend Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. Her world exists after the Turn where a disease transmitted through tomatoes kills off a large portion of the human race revealing the magic world that was always there but now composed too high a percentage of the population to remain hidden. Rachel Morgan, an earth witch, is a bounty hunter working with a team to bring down supernatural criminals. This book is free on Kindle right now! Download it! What do you have to lose? Except maybe the rest of your money as you buy the rest of the books in the Hollows series.
Read more books!
Kelly