Yes to each of those.

Yet my sole purpose as an editor isn’t to fill up my calendar and ensure an income stream. I edit because I want to help a writer improve a story and improve as a writer. There’s a teacher inside me who wants to not only make a manuscript the best it can be, but to make writers the best they can be.

Does this mean I have all the answers? No, no, and no again.

But I do bring an outside eye to a manuscript. And I can tell when something doesn’t work and why. And I do know how to make suggestions.

So why decline an edit?

The major reason I turn down an editing project is because the manuscript is not ready. Not ready to be published and not ready for an editor’s tools.

I’ve said many times that a first draft is not a finished product; first drafts can be so far from the final draft that they look to be different stories. Yet that’s often what I’m asked to look at, the very beginnings of what might be a wonderful story.

I receive many first drafts from excited writers, writers eager to submit their stories to publishers or agents after I clean up the punctuation or suggest grammar changes. I love that eagerness and hope I can channel it toward rewrites and self-edits. But I do that through suggestions rather than a hands-on edit at that stage.

I’m not a ghost writer or co-writer, yet that’s what I’d be if I edited the first draft of a novel.

A first draft, unless the writer is exceptionally gifted or experienced, is simply not ready for an edit. That first draft is a work in progress—and it’s a WIP at its very worst. What writer would want an editor to work on her project at its worst stage?

A first draft is incomplete. It has few of the touches that would make it an exceptional read. It’s often missing character motivation, rising conflict, and dialogue that’s rich in subtext and nuance. The beginning may not match the end. Story threads that were begun early in the manuscript might have gone nowhere, leaving messy bits of different plots hanging here and there among the true story.

Characters are likely to be undeveloped, hazy, unsure of their purpose in the story. Underused. One-dimensional.

The plot will be too thin or too full, the pacing will be off, the sentence rhythms will be off.

Foreshadowing will be absent. Chapter-ending hooks will go nowhere or be weak and uninspiring. Repetition—in word or thought or action—will be obvious rather than useful.

So . . . Isn’t that what an editor is for? To fix these issues? To at least bring a writer’s attention to them so he can make changes?

Yes, an editor will address all these issues and many more. But a manuscript that lacks the basic elements of good story is incomplete. And asking an editor to come in too soon is like asking another painter to finish a half-painted canvas: Here’s my latest project, John. Fill in the blank parts for me, will you? I’m sure you can tell from the rest of the image what I want to include in all the empty spaces. And if you find something that doesn’t work with the rest, just change that too.

A painting completed by another artist will not be the same painting the first artist envisioned. And a novel completed by an editor will not be the same story the writer envisioned.

_____________________________ 

A writer friend mentioned that it must be especially difficult to be turned down by a freelance editor. Not only is the manuscript not ready for a publisher, but it’s not even ready for an editor who would be paid to work on it. What does that say about the writing? the writer? the writer’s dreams?

For me, turning down an edit has nothing to do with the writer or his goals and dreams. It has everything to do with the words and the manuscript.

I’m not a dream crusher but a dream enhancer. What I give to writers whose manuscripts I decline to edit is the same thing I bring to my clients as I work through their manuscripts—my best advice and suggestions for improving the story.

For manuscripts I decline to edit, I point out areas that still need work. I suggest fixes and a few resources for helping with those fixes. I offer options and a direction to consider as the writer works on rewrites.

I suggest that a first draft needs another pass or two by the writer.

A first draft—or any version of a manuscript that hasn’t jelled—needs more than polishing and focus. It needs work at the very foundations. That may mean point of view hasn’t been decided. It may mean that instead of scenes, the writer has included character sketches and notes. There may be no clear protagonist.

Dialogue may run on and on or be nearly non-existent.

Unless an editor is working with the writer from the early stages of a story, unless she’s working as a developmental editor, these basic elements should be decided upon before an editor comes to a story. It’s true that an editor may suggest changes in POV or viewpoint character, may even suggest that a different character is the true protagonist. Yet, were an editor to rewrite passages to reflect the change in POV, were she to create scenes out of chapters of only description, the work would take on the editor’s style and not the writer’s.

Yes, there is developmental editing and there are co-writers, but unless that’s specifically what you’re looking for, you’d do better to have a handle on the fundamentals of storytelling and novels before you approach an editor for your work.

Do you want guidance and help or full rewriting? Do you want an outsider’s eye and suggestions or do you want that outsider’s words in place of your own?

I’m not saying that editors can’t make suggestions for entire scenes or for long passages. I am saying there’s a difference between editing and co-writing or re-writing. If you’re a writer, know which you expect from your editor and let her know your expectations. If you’re an editor, know what the writer expects from you and let him know what your edits cover.

If a writer is looking for help from the earliest stages, both parties should know that going in. But again, that’s typically a developmental edit, what is often seen in non-fiction. It’s not unheard of for fiction projects, just less common. The typical novelist typing away in solitude wants to do it all herself.

Note:  There’s always the slight chance an editor might accept an unfinished manuscript and neglect to point out fundamental story problems to the writer. A poor editor might try to make a story look pretty without firming the foundations.

If you’re a writer, you definitely don’t want to solicit such an editor, one who’s not willing to tell you your story isn’t ready. And if you’re an editor new to the business, don’t be shy about telling a writer what a story needs.

Writers, you’ll also want to be aware of the different types and levels of editing. If you ask a proofreader to work on a manuscript, he’s not necessarily going to point out problems with the story’s foundations; that’s not a proofreader’s job. He might not even see them since he’s reading for a different purpose. And he might not know how to fix them even if he did see problems. Proofreaders are highly skilled and worth every penny you pay them, but they are not substantive editors who delve into all the fiction elements. So while a proofreader may check every line of your tables, he might not be able to tell you a thing about character development.

Major story issues that show me a manuscript isn’t ready to be edited—

1.  Reports that take the place of scenes. This is the very worst of telling instead of showing. These manuscripts read less like a novel and more like a list of daily chores that have been accomplished. I did this, then I did this, and then I went here and did this. A novel without scenes (barring an experimental piece) is not a story.

2.  No clear protagonist. A story without a clear protagonist is missing its heart. Writers must decide whose story they’re telling and they should decide this before they’re ready for an edit. A story can’t be finished, the elements can’t be joined properly, if the protagonist is unidentified. And if the story isn’t finished, why have it edited? (I understand that editors often work as mentors and consultants, helping fix problem areas and strengthening a writer’s skills. An editor can take on these tasks at any stage of a manuscript’s development. I’m differentiating the editing of a completed manuscript from these mentoring tasks.)

3.  Confusion over point of view. Again, while an editor may suggest that a writer change his choice of POV or viewpoint character, there should’ve been some conscious decision by the writer to have chosen a point of view before working on the final drafts. A manuscript with muddled POV, especially one that shows the writer doesn’t understand the different options for POV, is not ready to be edited.

4.  Lack of story. A novel manuscript without a discernible story is not ready for an edit. Novels have characters doing something somewhere. The story usually makes sense, entertains readers, and shows a cohesion of some sort from beginning to end. The options of elements to be included in novels is nearly limitless, but there must be some kind of narrative featuring some kind of characters. A manuscript without a story needs to find a story before the writer finds an editor.

5.  A complete lack of writing skills or indifference to the need for those skills on the part of the writer. A writer who doesn’t know how to write and a writer who doesn’t care to learn how to write may not have the same attitude, but their output can be similar. A manuscript that’s the result of either ignorance (the lack of knowledge) or indifference is likely not ready for an edit.

Writers, you expect your editor to bring her best skills to your manuscript; you should do no less. Learn the basics. Learn the intermediate skills. Learn the advanced skills. Learn the writing rules and the ins and outs of fiction. Don’t assume you can write and that you know how to work with all the elements of storytelling—make sure that you do through practice and reading and study.

If I see a weakness in one of these areas, I suggest that the writer examine the problem area before seeking an edit. After all, what’s the point of editing a full manuscript if it will change drastically—where changes touch every page or scene—and require another edit? Make those major structural changes before hiring an editor.

_____________________________

I hope this reassures those writers who might be hesitant to approach a freelance editor. We’re looking for writers who want to produce a better story, who have an interest in crafting entertaining fiction that others will want to read. 

We don’t relish turning a writer down. Instead we want to help you make your current manuscript and all those that follow the best you can make them. If that means saying that one isn’t ready, not even ready for an editor, then that’s what we’re going to say.

I’m certain that at this point a few writers and editors will be thinking some variation of the following: “My first draft was really clean; I actually got a contract from that first draft.” “But I want an editor to help me with these exact issues.” “I’m an editor and I relish, thrive, working on just the kind of manuscripts you’ve described here as not ready.”

There are always exceptions.

Of course there are. Exceptions for stories, for people, for circumstances. Exceptions for brilliance or for the challenge or for the opportunity of working on a particular manuscript or with a particular writer.

But exceptions aren’t common. For most of us, the reality is that our stories need work and our first drafts are not final drafts and a beginning writer’s first manuscript is going to have major structural and storytelling issues that need fixing.

My encouragement for you is to keep writing. Work to enhance your writing strengths and eliminate your weaknesses.

Learn what makes good fiction and strive to create it.

And when you and your manuscript are ready, find an editor whose goals and strengths and style fit with yours so the two of you can produce a story readers won’t be able to put down.

Write good fiction today.

Rewrite even better fiction.

***

A style sheet is simply a statement and a reflection of the style standards and practices of a publisher of newspapers, books, or magazines.

One publishing house may adhere to recommendations from the Chicago Manual of Style and a newspaper may follow the Associated Press’s guide. But both may have special rules and recommendations for specific instances, in-house rules that they recommend for their writers.

Depending on the publisher, some items from a style sheet might be absolute rules and some might be strong recommendations. A writer or editor might be able to make a case for a usage contrary to the publisher’s recommendation or accepted practice. The writer or editor can always ask or challenge a standard practice.

These recommendations, both in-house and not, make up the publisher’s style guide or style sheet.

Style sheets inform writers and editors about spelling, punctuation, and capitalization practices so a manuscript can be consistent within itself as well as match the style of the publication.

Yet writers and editors don’t have to rely solely on a publisher’s style guide. Instead, they can put together their own style sheet for their manuscripts.

If you’re a plotter, you may have written a detailed spreadsheet listing scene layout, plot threads, and character traits, physical description, and history. But even plotters can benefit from a style sheet.

A style sheet can help writers and editors maintain consistency and help them reduce errors in story details.

____________________________

How to set up a style sheet
Since I edit from hard copy, I create a style sheet on a sheet of paper rather than using a spreadsheet on the computer. (I do, however, copy the details to a spreadsheet when I share them with clients.) Use whatever method, paper or computer, that works for you.

If you use the paper method, simply draw a horizontal line across the center of one side of the paper (think landscape view rather than portrait). Then draw three vertical lines from top to bottom to divide the page into eight boxes.

Flip the paper over. Draw another horizontal line across the page, yet do it a little higher than center on this side (you’ll need more room in the boxes at the bottom of the page). Divide the top section into three or four boxes. The bottom section may have two or three or four different-sized boxes. (The setup is virtually the same for a spreadsheet done on the computer.)

Mark the eight boxes on the first page and those on the top of the second page with groups of letters in alphabetical order. Put A/B or A/B/C at the top of the first box, C/D or D/E/F in the second box and so on until you’ve covered all the letters and used all the boxes. 

You’ll be entering words based on their first letters into these boxes.

Why? To keep track of odd spellings or words that you make up. To list titles or place names used in the manuscript. To keep up with oddities of any kind from the manuscript. To create a reference document so that anyone working on the manuscript can see exactly how words should be spelled or capped or hyphenated or abbreviated.

Title columns at the bottom of page two with Characters, Punctuation, Numbers, and Miscellaneous. The column for characters may require the most space; you might not need a separate column for numbers. If you’ve got another column option, feel free to include it.

What to include
Include any item or topic for which the writer or editor must make a decision. Remember that the style sheet is an aid for consistency. A writer might use it as a reminder for herself as she writes and edits or she might pass it on to her copy editor at a publishing house. An editor might use her own style sheet to show a writer what choices she made while editing.

Use a style sheet to—

~  List character names in the character column with the first spelling you find for each and the page number of the first use of each name. If there are different spellings, note the differences and the page number of the first usage of each different spelling.

~  List punctuation rules—serial comma or no serial comma, em dash rather than parentheses, and so on, whatever you’ve decided you’ll use for the manuscript.

~  Spell out the rules for using numerals and words for numbers. Will it be numerals for all numbers greater than nine or will your cut-off be ninety-nine?

~  Note if which is acceptable in place of that for American English restrictive clauses.

~  Note whether a mix of British English and American English spellings is acceptable or if it’s necessary to choose one style.

~  Show how contractions will be used, if they’ll be used. Might all characters except for one use contractions? Are any contractions unacceptable?

~  Spell out uses of quotation marks and/or italics, especially for unusual words or for emphasis or for words used as words.

~  List acceptable dialogue tags other than said or asked, if there are any. Or list unacceptable dialogue tags.

~  List any limits on curse words, either by word or use by specific characters.

~  Show correct spelling of unusual or made-up words.

~  List abbreviations. List words that are always capped.

~  List hyphenated words or unusual compound words.

~  List oddities in grammar or punctuation, especially anything outside standard usage. If the writer wants a knowingly different usage, be sure to include a note about that unusual usage.

~  List foreign words.

~  Note anything unusual that the writer or copy editor should know about, anything that would enhance consistency if followed throughout the story or that would challenge the suspension of disbelief if not followed.

Most of these suggestions are geared toward a fiction manuscript, but you can also include notes for non-fiction works. For example, spell out the procedures for labeling graphs or images, explain layout, include standards for headings and titles, and make clear how scientific notation and definitions will be written.

Make a note in the style sheet for the unusual or use the style sheet to tell the writer about grammar, punctuation, or spelling rules he might not know. For example—

Write words for numbers and symbols in dialogue rather than using numerals and the symbols themselves.

Use ellipsis for dialogue that trails off, em dash for dialogue that’s cut off.

Use a comma to separate names in dialogue from the rest of the dialogue when a character is being addressed.

“I warned you, Syd. Now it’s too late.”

____________________________

A style sheet is easy to fill out. Easy to forget to fill out as well, unfortunately. But it can be highly useful for both writers and editors, especially as a writing project nears completion.

Writers, you might not want to start your style sheet until after you’ve written the first draft. Working on one before that point might get in the way of your creativity. Of course, if keeping up with the details helps you as you write, by all means begin the style sheet with your first page.

Do consider adding a style sheet to your writing tasks. Don’t feel that you must start it early in the project.

If you’re a freelance editor, there’s no consideration about it; prepare a style sheet for your clients. Show them how consistency can be worked into their manuscripts.

Give them one more tool for writing better fiction.

***

I’ve not been asked this one directly, but quite a few visitors to the blog have used this question, or some variation, as a search term that’s led them here—

Does an editor have to know how to write? (Sometimes it’s asked, do editors have to write well?)

At first I was confused by the question, especially since more than one person was interested in the topic. I would have thought the answer quite obvious—

Yes, editors need to know how to write and should be better than average writers.

Yet I realized that since there are several types of editors, the question could have several possible answers.

Does a managing editor need to know how to write in order to manage her writers and direct her newspaper or magazine? Yes, she should have the skills to write and probably wouldn’t be in her position without being able to write. But do managing editors use those skills daily, as a writer would? No, not to the same degree. These editors probably spend more of their days truly managing their writers and publications.

Thus, instead of editing an article or even writing one, they may be planning issues of a magazine and looking for writers. They may deal with circulation and marketing and finances. They must know which stories will work for their publications and entertain their readers. They must understand the market and how to deliver for that market. And while they’re probably skilled as writers, they may not write often.

Of course, some managing editors may juggle many tasks and may both write and edit while at the same time managing.

And they must be able to recognize good, and bad, writing and know how to manipulate words so that that intended message is conveyed. 

An acquisitions editor at a publisher may help a writer with her manuscript but should not be writing or rewriting the story. The editor will guide and suggest but always go back to the writer for changes. On the other hand, a newspaper or magazine or even a blog editor might have the authority to rewrite passages of a story or article without approaching the author. Much of the difference has to do with the time factor. Books take much longer to go to print, and writers have time to make changes themselves. News articles and blog articles may need to be edited in an instant, even simply for space or word count. An editor who can write would be quite helpful in such instances.

If an editor couldn’t write, would a writer be able to trust his suggestions?

An acquisitions editor should be skilled at focusing the direction of a story while allowing the writer to actually write it. A skilled editor, because he does know how to write, because he knows how to craft stories and how to work all the elements of fiction, will be able to direct both story and writer through the high points and low points of a story and ultimately to a high-quality and satisfying resolution.

 An editor who couldn’t write, who didn’t know both the basics and advanced skills, wouldn’t be of much use to a writer.

And such an editor probably wouldn’t have reached a place where he could direct or influence writers, help them create stronger stories. If you don’t know how it’s done, you can’t show others.

Developmental and substantive writers most definitely need to know all the ins and outs of writing.

These editors make suggestions throughout a manuscript. They have to know how to show a writer how to accomplish what they want to accomplish, and they often use examples to make clear what they’re saying. Sometimes their words are included in a manuscript, and those words must fit the author’s style and intent.

Most editors give multiple options to their writers to give them an idea of what can be done with a passage or scene. The editor who couldn’t write well might only be able to finesse the words already on the page. A good editor, however, knows how to open the writer to possibilities and can show a number of those possibilities with examples.

Once a writer sees what can be done, he can run with his ideas. Sometimes all it takes to turn a writer in a new direction is to show him how a change in wording or character or pacing or plot event can open up a story. But an editor has to write well enough for his words to make an impact on the writer. An editor’s  well-written example or scenario can turn around a story headed the wrong direction, and it can open a writer’s eyes to unexpected possibilities.

Editors who deal with the text itself do need to know how to strengthen it. They need to know pacing and how to increase conflict. They have to know how to write dialogue and the ways dialogue can be used to advance plot and reveal character.

Editors must know the difference between showing and telling, the unfolding of scenes in comparison with exposition.

They must know grammar and punctuation and syntax.

Editors must know words.

Yes, while some editors may no longer manipulate words and phrases and paragraphs and scenes, they do need to know how. They need to be able to write. They need to be able to help other writers write.

They need to be able to see big-picture issues and the tiniest of details.

Must editors be good writers? My answer is an unqualified yes.

__________________________________

The exception
A copy editor brings a specific set of skills to a manuscript or article. Copy editors look at spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They may check story continuity. They make sure word choices are correct in terms of meaning. Did the writer mean principles rather than principals? Lend rather than borrow? Did she want seminal or Seminole?

Copy editors also check titles and headings and figures in charts. They make sure the details of the details are right.

But true copy editors do not read for broad-picture elements. They’re not looking to see if conclusions have been justified in non-fiction and if story threads play out in fiction. They’re not editing for style issues (unless we’re talking a publisher’s style sheet). Copy editors aren’t looking at pacing issues and whether a plot makes sense. They don’t analyze dialogue to see that it accomplishes a purpose.

They’re not going to be searching for a theme to see if it’s been hinted at throughout the manuscript. They won’t be making sure that each character is necessary and that scenes advance the story and that sense details have been included.

Their scope is narrow and they are the one group of editors to focus on specific parts of a story or article while not being concerned with other elements.

So a copy editor may be the one type of editor who does not need the same writing skills that other editors need. While what they bring to a manuscript or article is vital, they can do their jobs without a writer’s in-depth knowledge. Thus a copy editor would not necessarily need to know how to write well, not in the same way that novel writers and other editors would.

You can be a successful and skilled copy editor without having written a book and without being well-versed in the elements of fiction.

*******

If you’ve had a similar question about editors but for a reason I’ve not covered here, please let us know. If there’s a nuance or a specific that I’ve overlooked, I’d be happy to consider that question as well. But if you’re wondering about the profession, wondering if you need strong writing skills to be a good editor, my answer is yes, you do, unless you’re a copy editor. And even then you do need skills. Just not all those a writer or a different type of editor would bring to a project.

Not only must you, as an editor, be able to write, but you must be able to show others what can be done to make their writing stronger. Two different sets of skills, but both required for the successful editor.

Keep the questions coming.

***

There are so many, many areas to a piece of long fiction, how can you be sure you’ve checked each, weighed the value of each, polished each?

And if you change one area, how do you remind yourself to re-check those other areas that you already looked at?

And. . . where do you even start this checking and polishing, this editing?

It’s likely that you easily catch problems and errors in the areas where you’re strongest as a writer or editor—if you nail character goals and motivation, you might want to start your edit there. Or, you may look to your own problem areas first, assuming you’ll need to spend more time in those areas. So if punctuation is a weak spot, that may be where you begin your edits.

You probably look at big-picture issues first and work toward the fine details. That makes sense since changes in big-picture items will change a lot of the fine details. Yet, if you can’t stand to read a manuscript with typos and weak word choices, don’t feel that you can’t change them as you edit and rewrite. That is, if editing the detail stuff along the way helps you, then do it. But don’t forget to systematically check those details again after you’ve made major changes.

Changes in any area, but especially in large-picture or story-wide issues, will necessitate change throughout the manuscript. Be ready to evaluate the manuscript again after making large-picture changes. Make sure changes—both items added in and items taken out—are carried through the story.

I don’t intend to lay out some standard, absolute path for editing; as writers approach their craft in a manner that works for them, so should editors. Do what works for you and your organizational patterns and for your writers and their projects.

Yet, don’t merely wing it, guessing your way through your edits.

Know the items to look for and know how to address problem areas. Think ahead—anticipate how changes in one element or scene or plot thread will change elements and scenes and plot threads later in the story.

Be flexible. Realize that one story or one writer’s style may require an approach different from any you’ve undertaken before. Don’t lock yourself into an inflexible checklist—be aware that each story has its own needs. You may find a unique dilemma that will require a fix you haven’t tried before.

Stories are similar in makeup, yet no two will require the same edit.

And remember that you may have to work backwards. If you find something that needs attention at the end of the story, you’ll probably have to change multiple areas earlier in the story to bring about that needed change.

Allow yourself to think beyond one-step fixes—you may need to layer your corrections in order to fix or change a problem area. A weak character may need a new personality quirk, may need to lose part of his history, and may need a different character for his best friend.

Be bold in your prescriptions. On the flip side, don’t overlook the simple.

Rely on experience, but be open to the unexpected.

Know the rules, yet allow your writer (and yourself) freedom and flexibility.

______________________________

I’d like to look at areas you’ll want to consider as you edit. Many will be the same kinds of areas writers consider as they create. The emphasis, however, may be a bit different.

Writers must make sure they include fascinating characters and plots that keep a reader’s attention. Editors (and writers who self-edit) will check for fascinating characters and plots as well. They may also consider what additional characters would mean for the story or what a sub-plot could add.

Writers are often concerned with the story in their heads and with getting that story to the page. Editors are often concerned with the elements of the story that are not yet on the page—they look to see what’s missing. Editors also focus on weeding out distractions from the core story—characters who don’t fit, settings that don’t work, dialogue that adds nothing, sub-plots that dilute the main plot, and digressions and rabbit trails and non-productive elements that either neuter the power of the story or actually detract from it.

Editing can be art, but there are standards and practices and even tips and tricks you can bring to your edits to ensure you’ve been complete in your evaluation.

You may have your specialties, as most people do in the tasks that they perform often. But no one wants to overlook other important elements simply because they focus on certain other elements.

Perhaps you tend to focus on the big picture and story-wide issues. Wouldn’t you like tips for checking out the details?

And if you’re a stickler for details, wouldn’t you like a refresher on how to consider the big-picture items?

Let’s consider areas that editors do look at and should look at, and simply put them in lists with a bit of explanation. This way you’ll know areas you’ll want to cover in an edit.

You may find that you take every area mentioned here into account each time you edit. You may find some areas that you’ve never considered. Or, you may find that some areas are not those you think an editor should be concerned with.

I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing what other editors consider important. If you’ve got something to add to this list, please share.

_____________________________

I’m simply going to split the elements into big-picture areas and fine-detail areas. I realize there will be overlap and I’m sure we wouldn’t all arrange the areas in the same way. I’m using this method since I think about story in this manner, with story-wide issues that affect the whole manuscript and fine details that can be edited without necessarily making changes to the full story.

Yet, as I said, there may be overlap. Some fine-detail issues can have great impact on the story as a whole.

Big-picture areas

Plot

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it interesting and engrossing

Is there enough to sustain the story through the final page

Are there too many sub-plots, not enough sub-plots

Are major plot issues resolved

Is plot introduced in an engaging way

Does the story make sense

Are there hooks; are they logical; are they related to the rest of the plot

Is plot engaging, inevitable, believable

Is the plot full enough or does it feel thin

Is the premise right for the story that’s been written

Has reader expectation been whetted and then satisfied

Is there a focus or is the plot scattered

Does the story start in the right place

 ~  Steps to take/what plot should do—

Weed out coincidence

Maintain forward movement

Include surprises

Move logically from point to point

Resolve plot threads

Root out author intrusion

Whether you consider the opening event or the protagonist’s acceptance of his call to action the inciting incident, make sure you have both

Make sure the ending is sufficient in terms of length and depth for the story

Make sure the ending is inevitable

Make sure the ending doesn’t drag; make it satisfy the reader

Make sure the black moment and climax are strong enough for the story

Use back story sparingly and blend it so it doesn’t stop story momentum

Character

 ~  Questions to ask—

Are lead characters interesting enough for the story

Do lead characters have sufficient motivation to move through the plot

Is the antagonist strong enough, a good complement to the protagonist

Do characters have strengths and weaknesses

Are character goals clear

Are characters well-rounded

Are all featured characters vital to the plot

Is character motivation appropriate for the story that developed from it

 ~  Steps to take/what character should do—

Make sure there are enough characters to carry the plot

Make sure there are no unnecessary characters

Give the main character secondary characters to support him

Give the main character characters strong enough to challenge him

Fit characters to genre and era

Give characters appropriate and sufficient habits, quirks, favorite words, speech patterns, dreams, goals and motivations, and hot buttons that other characters can push

Make characters three-dimensional—include thoughts, actions, and reactions

Setting

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it conveyed sufficiently

Is it appropriate for the story

Would a different setting work better

Is setting used to advance plot, to create tone, to increase tension

Are readers given a clear sense of place and time for each scene

 ~  Steps to take/what setting should do—

Verify details

Make sure setting details are appropriate to story and scene

Make sure setting doesn’t overwhelm action and plot

Include props that characters can handle and use

Dialogue

 ~  Questions to ask—

Does dialogue advance the story

Is dialogue appropriate to character

Is dialogue appropriate to the scene

Does dialogue increase conflict

 ~  Steps to take/what dialogue should do—

Ensure that characters sound sufficiently different

Make sure it is dialogue and not conversation

Use genre-appropriate dialogue tags

Keep adverbs in dialogue tags to a minimum, unless genre allows them

Scenes

Make sure there are a sufficient number of scenes

Make sure individual scenes satisfy and that they are different in terms of action events, character combinations, dialogue patterns, and type of conflict

Give scenes variety in length, format, depth, and pattern

Use a variety of settings for scenes (or play against variety and stick to only a few settings) 

Make sure scenes are in the best order to cause problems for the character and induce tension in the reader

Point of view

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it the right POV for the story and for the scene; would another be better

Is POV clear

Is POV maintained within scenes

Should POV change with scenes

Who should be the viewpoint character in each scene

 ~  Steps to take/what point of view should do—

Make sure that viewpoint character doesn’t change within scenes (no head-hopping)

Make sure viewpoint character knows only what he could really know

Use a change in POV or viewpoint character to bring story and character closer to the reader or to hold the reader at a distance when necessary

Pace

 ~  Questions to ask—

Does pace vary

Is the pace of each scene appropriate

Does pace influence tone

Does pace increase/decrease tension

Conflict

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is there sufficient conflict in each scene and between characters

Does conflict escalate

 ~  Steps to take/what conflict should do—

Create tension

Make characters and readers uncomfortable

Increase conflict as the story progresses

Ensure conflict between characters and between protagonist and himself and within the antagonist

Balance

 ~  Steps to take/what balance should do—

Ensure balance between elements; make sure no one element overwhelms

Balance character thoughts, dialogue, and actions with setting and description

Balance sections, scenes, chapters, and acts

Fine-detail areas

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Each must be checked; never assume they’re correct.

Maintain consistency in all three

Emotion

Be sure you’ve shown character emotions

Make sure you tapped into reader emotion

Go after more than one emotional event; induce more than one emotion per story

Style

Enhance the writer’s style as long as it serves the story

Make sure the style is cohesive

Fact checking

Check dates, technology and inventions, historical events. Anything that can be verified needs to be verified.

Word choices

Delete unintended repetition

Make sure words are character, era, scene, and genre appropriate

Cut out unnecessary words

Understand how humor affects character, scene, tone, and plot, and use humor when appropriate

Use specific verbs

Remove weak phrasing

Take out clichés and the writer’s pet words

Make every sentence and each word count

Sentence construction

Use variety in construction and in sentence length

Rhythm

Ensure variety in rhythm without producing annoying patterns

Consider giving characters unique sentence constructions

Time

Be sure that the passage of time is both clear and possible.

Make sure readers understand the timing of events and scenes

Clarity

Make sure that each section, bit of dialogue, scene, and chapter is clear

Tone

Ensure the tone achieved is what the writer intended and appropriate for the story

General questions and reminders

Has the writer made the reader care about the character and his dilemma?

Is the story entertaining?

Is there enough story to the story?

Is the story different enough to catch a reader’s attention?

Does the story move fast enough?

Does the story catch either the reader’s mind or heart, perhaps both?

Put the elements to work—make each do double or triple duty. Make dialogue advance plot and reveal character and up the conflict level.

Remember the reader—don’t edit in a vacuum.

Remember the writer—she may have ideas of her own.

 *******

This could go on much longer and in more detail. But I hope it gives you a helpful list of the areas to look at when you edit.

May I suggest that you look closest at those areas that don’t appeal to you or that give you problems? Take time to review the elements of fiction that you’re weakest in. Why not strengthen them, help yourself to be an even stronger editor?

If you’re a writer who’s using this list to self-edit, I suggest you take all the time needed to work your way through your edits. Editing, good editing, doesn’t happen in an instant. Don’t be surprised if you spend as many hours on an edit as you do working on one of your drafts. A good edit deserves the time.

And a good book deserves an outstanding edit.

***

There are different levels of editing, so the answer to the question of what an editor should do can be complex. But every editor can adhere to some standards—

Return edited manuscripts on time.

Keep abreast of current spellings (words change spelling with time) and technical jargon.

Read a manuscript more than once.

Refuse to hold back skills, knowledge, opinions. The client is paying for honesty and diligence.

Be frank.  Don’t be swayed by a client’s talent or fame or subject knowledge.

Look up supposed facts—dates, events, history.

Point out sections that sound like gibberish.

Point out sections that sing.

Turn down an edit if the manuscript isn’t ready.

Suggest a different beginning, if warranted.

Suggest a different ending, if needed.

Recommend cutting characters, phrases, paragraphs, scenes, chapters, dialogue, description and events that don’t adhere to or enhance the story’s plot or tone.

Don’t just cut—make concrete suggestions for changing or adding to the story.

Learn genre requirements and expectations.

Be open to something new or unexpected.

Remember that it’s not your story.

*******

Looking for the specifics of an editor’s job? Read Duties of an Editor/How Editors Help Writers.

***

Yet, it’s hard not to react when people throw stones.

No, not at me personally. But at my profession.

I spent time last week (more than was good for me) following blogs and Internet articles where the main activity was jumping on freelance editors, complaining about them, lumping them all into the same negative category. One somewhere beneath lawyers and a step or two above car salesmen. And yes, I know that such a comparison plays into stereotypes about men and women in those two professions.

My point exactly.

There are poor representatives in every profession. There are stellar ones as well. But those who take advantage of their clients or customers paint not only themselves but their colleagues with the same ugly brush.

I read complaint after complaint from writers abused by editors who either didn’t come through with what they promised or who were no good at their jobs. The most common complaint was that a manuscript was in worse shape after the editor was done with it. The writers and their friends thus wondered if any freelance editor was worth hiring.

Yes, they are. Many of them. Most of them.

Good editors spend hours working out ways to make their clients’ writing clear and entertaining. They look up oddities of grammar and punctuation. They find a phrase that could be written as two words, a single word, or as a hyphenated word and take time to check on the current accepted spelling. They read and study and check facts.

Good editors aren’t trying to cheat the writer or make him look bad. Instead, they’re doing what it takes to make a manuscript as flawless as possible while saving the writer the embarrassment of submitting error-riddled stories.

A good editor isn’t going to produce an edit with more spelling errors or punctuation mistakes than the original manuscript. He’s not going to gut the work and rewrite the story according to his vision. He’s not going to fill it with adjectives and adverbs and passive construction. He won’t add his pet theme.

He is going to clean up the mechanics. And he will offer suggestions to tighten plot and sharpen focus and make characters more memorable. He’ll address emotion—or lack of it—and the overuse of dialogue and the lack of depth.  He may ask about character names and dangling plot threads and inconsistencies.

No, not everyone needs a professional editor; some writers get enough help from critique groups or education or experience.

And not everyone is ready for a professional editor. If an editor suggests you need more writing experience or training or help with certain skills, consider that he might be right and go get that experience or training or help. If he suggests your story needs a rewrite—by you—consider rewriting.

Don’t accept sub-standard work from an editor; don’t accept it from anyone. But don’t think all editors are bad because of your experience (or your aunt’s or your best friend’s) with an incompetent editor. Most have quite high standards. We expect the best from ourselves and put our names and reputations out in public with every edit. We want to make it right—that’s exactly what drew us to the profession. Our true pleasure is watching so-so stories become great ones and good stories connect with an audience.

Unless you have a legitimate complaint, don’t jump on the bash-an-editor bandwagon. No profession is represented by only one member. Are all car salesmen crooked? Of course not. Are lawyers the scum of the earth? Ask the ones who work for near-nothing to provide legal advice for those without money and others who give up nights and weekends for their clients.

One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch.

Advice to editors—

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Deliver what you promise.

Don’t accept every client who comes to you—some manuscripts aren’t ready for editing.

Spell out your services. Be clear about what you do and about what you don’t do.

Know your stuff. Take a class, brush up on your skills, know the rules and know when they can be broken.

Be realistic about your expectations. No editor is perfect; you will make mistakes. Learn how to fix them.

Advice to writers—

Shop around. Not all editors will be right for you.

Get recommendations from friends.

Ask for a sample edit.

Be realistic about your expectations. No editor is perfect; yours will make mistakes.