Thursday, March 29, 2007

From the Desk of the Editor... Fourth Edition

It's been a while since I've put on my Editor Hat here, so, I thought I'd try it on to see if it still fits.

It does.

Today's Hot Tip Direct From The Editor...

Writing isn't a static occupation. By this I mean that for writers it's important to learn, grow, stretch, search, refine, and redefine our skills. What you learn will manifest itself in your writing. Trust me, I know from personal experience it is possible to learn to recognize POV changes/headhops in your own writing, and it is possible to learn how to write without headhopping.

I think it's important that we don't become complacent. It's not enough that you can punctuate properly. It's not enough that you can identify all the story elements if you can't apply them in a manner that draws the reader into the story you're telling. It's not enough to have the Greatest Idea Ever To Occur to Woman/Man if you can't write well enough to do the Idea justice. It's not enough that our mothers all love what we write-- they're our mothers; it's a Law of Nature that they love our work ;).

Be teachable. The editor who's rejected your work and taken the time to point out what needs to be worked on has done you a favor by taking the time to tell you what they thought could stand improvement in your work. Not all editors do that. It's okay to be sad/upset that you've received the big "R," but don't wallow in it, for pity's sake. Mourn, eat some chocolate, then get back to work. The Internet is a fantastic source for writers. You can find articles on any topic about writing simply by typing what you're looking for in the search engine.

One last thought: if you're hearing the same thing about your writing over and over, then do something about it. You aren't be picked upon. You aren't being misunderstood. You have something to learn. Learn it and apply it. Then you won't feel picked upon or misunderstood.

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