Editors, Embrace and Assist Writers

[AsylumSeeker]

This is not self-serving, and this is not some back-handed commercial funded by whoever.

I love to write. My (currently) 209 stories prove that.

But to be quite honest, I would never be the writer I am without being the editor I am. Editing, for those who can do it, and do it well, is such a huge learning experience, and also humbling. Humblng in that the editor assists a writer in achieving their dreams, while also learning a great deal. I have increased my vocabulary, learned the meanings of words as I have checked them against the dictionary, and I have also earned a bit of self-esteem when correcting writers.

I'll admit I'm not the best editor, which is why I frequently come here to ask questions. But I do come here and ask questions, I'm never too proud to learn something new. There are such great resources here, feel free to post your questions, they'll always be received in an open and loving way.

Be an editor if you can be, and don't be too proud. Be open to new ideas, and never be too timid to ask.

I'm very grateful for the opportunities I've had to impact the lives of others.

What have you done lately?

 

[sr71plt]

I went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

 

[_Lynn_]

I went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

*Dr Pepper spew*

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Here I am spilling my heart and ya'll are thinking food?

Whatever!

 

[driphoney]

Here I am spilling my heart and ya'll are thinking food?

Whatever!

The day I see SR get sentimental I'm printing it out and framing it!

 

[_Lynn_]

Here I am spilling my heart and ya'll are thinking food?

Whatever!

Relax, AS.


What have I done recently?

1. Started college at the age of (cough cough).
2. Completed the NaNo challenge.
3. Began part-time work.
4. Took in my daughter's cat so he didn't have to go to a shelter.
5. Helped yet another writer see some of their mistakes so they can improve.

I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of at the moment.

 

[_Lynn_]

The day I see SR get sentimental I'm printing it out and framing it!

Trust me, he has before.

 

[sr71plt]

The day I see SR get sentimental I'm printing it out and framing it!

Come to a reading of one of my mainstream story readings. I rarely can get through a reading without choking up. (And I guess you haven't read of the builk of my Christmas stories posted here for the last three years.)

 

[driphoney]

Come to a reading of one of my mainstream story readings. I rarely can get through a reading without choking up. (And I guess you haven't read of the builk of my Christmas stories posted here for the last three years.)

I've read a lot of your stories, and I find heart in all of them (well, except that one with the ax handle .) I meant a post here on the boards.

You got a Christmas story submitted this year? I'll have to check it out. I love your writing. I try not to look like a groupie.

ETA: I really was just teasing. I remember your comments on your sisters lock of hair.

 

[_Lynn_]

I've read a lot of your stories, and I find heart in all of them (well, except that one with the ax handle .) I meant a post here on the boards.

You got a Christmas story submitted this year? I'll have to check it out. I love your writing. I try not to look like a groupie.

I read them.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Relax, AS.


What have I done recently?

1. Started college at the age of (cough cough).
2. Completed the NaNo challenge.
3. Began part-time work.
4. Took in my daughter's cat so he didn't have to go to a shelter.
5. Helped yet another writer see some of their mistakes so they can improve.

I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of at the moment.

I actually wasn't stressing, but I realize this is difficult to tell without anything else to base expectations upon. And your response is conditioned, I know, as I have flown off the handle a few imes in the past. But it was a post made more in jest than anything else. Maybe I need to make more use of the emoticons so one can sense my mood at the time.

Talking about pussy, I have two in the back yard. Strays, I mean. After having a dog for an (unlucky) 13 years before passing away, we decided not to be tied down any longer. But there are strays around and so we began feeding them. Now we have two that sleep in the shed and with food/water and occasional affection they won't leave.

And I've edited a couple of stories this weekend.

I wasn't pointing any fingers, by the way. I know we get newbies and such cruising through the EF and so I thought to share with those "fence-sitters" about editing, that it's not just about investing time, that there is an up-side. That's all. And I had a thread in me and, being mindful of LadyC, I knew it had to be related if I was to create it here. And so I did -- and history was made! Okay, so maybe that was the teeniest bit over the top, but...

Okay, so I can't address the nano thing, but I "have" tracked down and killed a number of terrorists in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, so I think I have the edge here, ML. <Sticking out tongue and wiggling it>

 

[_Lynn_]

I actually wasn't stressing, but I realize this is difficult to tell without anything else to base expectations upon. And your response is conditioned, I know, as I have flown off the handle a few imes in the past. But it was a post made more in jest than anything else. Maybe I need to make more use of the emoticons so one can sense my mood at the time.

Talking about pussy, I have two in the back yard. Strays, I mean. After having a dog for an (unlucky) 13 years before passing away, we decided not to be tied down any longer. But there are strays around and so we began feeding them. Now we have two that sleep in the shed and with food/water and occasional affection they won't leave.

And I've edited a couple of stories this weekend.

I wasn't pointing any fingers, by the way. I know we get newbies and such cruising through the EF and so I thought to share with those "fence-sitters" about editing, that it's not just about investing time, that there is an up-side. That's all. And I had a thread in me and, being mindful of LadyC, I knew it had to be related if I was to create it here. And so I did -- and history was made! Okay, so maybe that was the teeniest bit over the top, but...

Okay, so I can't address the nano thing, but I "have" tracked down and killed a number of terrorists in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, so I think I have the edge here, ML. <Sticking out tongue and wiggling it>

Ppfftt

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Ppfftt

Always wondered what a "pussy-fart" was. Mystery solved!

 

[_Lynn_]

Always wondered what a "pussy-fart" was. Mystery solved!

Glad I could assist you with such a delicate issue.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Glad I could assist you with such a delicate issue.

Yes, well, have pussy waiting....

 

[CopperSkink]

Modern Warfare 2 makes British kids cry. I'd post the link if I thought it would get anywhere, but it's on Break.

I just had delicious barbeque with chicken and lamb with zuccini and yellow squish

I just adopted a Husky that I trained two years ago

I just got a new rat to replace the one my other dog ate the day after I introduced her to the Husky

I just helped one of my authors achieve what he thought was a very warm welcome to the first of a series that just passed the site editors

I did not, unhapilly, make one of my writers get off with what I thought was my most blatantly pornagraphic story. Something to do with her not being able to get past the incest. Rats.

 

[_Lynn_]

Modern Warfare 2 makes British kids cry. I'd post the link if I thought it would get anywhere, but it's on Break.

I just had delicious barbeque with chicken and lamb with zuccini and yellow squish

I just adopted a Husky that I trained two years ago

I just got a new rat to replace the one my other dog ate the day after I introduced her to the Husky

I just helped one of my authors achieve what he thought was a very warm welcome to the first of a series that just passed the site editors

I did not, unhapilly, make one of my writers get off with what I thought was my most blatantly pornagraphic story. Something to do with her not being able to get past the incest. Rats.

Yellow squish being???

I won't mention the others spelled wrong.

 

[CWatson]

To me, being an editor is a double-edged sword, because how you should act depends on the person you're editing for--or, perhaps more accurately, how mature of a writer they are.

I was first encouraged to keep writing when I was seven years old; it was my first step as a writer. My first step as an editor came at fourteen, when I completed my first novel (my fifth or sixth writing step). I was proud of it and galloped about the house in a triumph, and then gave it to my sister to read. Once she had read it, she told me, "This is shit." I said, "Excuse me, it's my first novel, show some respect;" but, a year later, when I went back to it, I realized, "Wow, she was right: this is shit." And, once I had figured out to improve it, I sat down and did it better. (Or tried to. Ten years and six drafts later, it's still not ready for publication. I have a hunch my first novel may be my last as well.)

Another seven years passed, and, having honed my craft, I began to post stories here at Literotica. Here, finally, seven years late, I began to receive the praise I had hoped for when I gave that first binder of computer-printed pages to my sister. I got praised... and, Ironically, didn't need it. This was partially because I had already had some fan fiction released on various websites (particularly RPGamer, where the fanfic section was moderated by one of the most talented and discerning writers I have been priveleged to know), so the praise wasn't new. But it was also because I had read enough, and learned enough about editing, to know the quality of my own work. I knew when I was doing better than most; I knew when I was doing worse; I knew when I was coming in average (most of the time it was that). And, when the flame e-mails inevitably came in, I knew enough about my writing to laugh them off.

When you're at the first stage described above, what you want are well-wishers. You want readers who will be dazzled by your imagination and vision, who will fawn over you, who will tell you how good you are. This will help instill in you confidence: you are able to say, "Yeah: I'm a writer. No matter how bad this particular story is, or how many times I messed up, or how many stupid errors slipped through my fingers, I'm still a writer. You can't take that away from me." Then you're ready for an editor, who will tell you that, sure, you're pretty good, but you could be better, and here's how.

At the first stage you are not ready for an editor; you don't have the confidence or the maturity necessary to accept criticism, even constructive criticism. Facing criticism requires confidence: it forces you to burn through some of your self-esteem. If you don't have any to spare, there could be problems. In fact, if you get an editor at that stage, s/he could kill your wordsmithing career before it gets off the ground. I know this from personal experience, from a hapless editing client whose dreams I inadvertently murdered. She was not ready. She thought she was, and that was her mistake to make--but that didn't make either of us feel any better about it.

Editors are a writer's best friend--and everybody else's worst enemy. Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.

(Okay, enough of my off-topic rambling.)

 

[AsylumSeeker]

To me, being an editor is a double-edged sword, because how you should act depends on the person you're editing for--or, perhaps more accurately, how mature of a writer they are.

I was first encouraged to keep writing when I was seven years old; it was my first step as a writer. My first step as an editor came at fourteen, when I completed my first novel (my fifth or sixth writing step). I was proud of it and galloped about the house in a triumph, and then gave it to my sister to read. Once she had read it, she told me, "This is shit." I said, "Excuse me, it's my first novel, show some respect;" but, a year later, when I went back to it, I realized, "Wow, she was right: this is shit." And, once I had figured out to improve it, I sat down and did it better. (Or tried to. Ten years and six drafts later, it's still not ready for publication. I have a hunch my first novel may be my last as well.)

Another seven years passed, and, having honed my craft, I began to post stories here at Literotica. Here, finally, seven years late, I began to receive the praise I had hoped for when I gave that first binder of computer-printed pages to my sister. I got praised... and, Ironically, didn't need it. This was partially because I had already had some fan fiction released on various websites (particularly RPGamer, where the fanfic section was moderated by one of the most talented and discerning writers I have been priveleged to know), so the praise wasn't new. But it was also because I had read enough, and learned enough about editing, to know the quality of my own work. I knew when I was doing better than most; I knew when I was doing worse; I knew when I was coming in average (most of the time it was that). And, when the flame e-mails inevitably came in, I knew enough about my writing to laugh them off.

When you're at the first stage described above, what you want are well-wishers. You want readers who will be dazzled by your imagination and vision, who will fawn over you, who will tell you how good you are. This will help instill in you confidence: you are able to say, "Yeah: I'm a writer. No matter how bad this particular story is, or how many times I messed up, or how many stupid errors slipped through my fingers, I'm still a writer. You can't take that away from me." Then you're ready for an editor, who will tell you that, sure, you're pretty good, but you could be better, and here's how.

At the first stage you are not ready for an editor; you don't have the confidence or the maturity necessary to accept criticism, even constructive criticism. Facing criticism requires confidence: it forces you to burn through some of your self-esteem. If you don't have any to spare, there could be problems. In fact, if you get an editor at that stage, s/he could kill your wordsmithing career before it gets off the ground. I know this from personal experience, from a hapless editing client whose dreams I inadvertently murdered. She was not ready. She thought she was, and that was her mistake to make--but that didn't make either of us feel any better about it.

Editors are a writer's best friend--and everybody else's worst enemy. Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.

(Okay, enough of my off-topic rambling.)

Ramblings appreciated.