Michael Langan collates wise words from other writers about what an editor does.
Toni Morrison was a great editor as well as a great novelist and she describes the process of working with an editor beautifully; it’s a back and forth, a give and take, and trust, as she says, is key to developing a fruitful editing relationship:
“…the editor puts his or her finger on exactly the place the writer knows is weak but just couldn’t do any better at the time…Good editors identify that place and sometimes make suggestions. Some suggestions are not useful because you can’t explain everything to an editor about what you are trying to do. I couldn’t possibly explain all of those things to an editor, because what I do has to work on so many levels. But within the relationship if there is some trust, some willingness to listen, remarkable things can happen.”
Toni Morrison
I like this idea from Scott Norton that editing is a creative partnership which strives to achieve something that wouldn’t otherwise appear. It’s collaborative in the best sense:
“We achieve originality of style not by avoiding the influences of others but by blending them into a combination that has not been heard before.”
Scott Norton
Something that writers should perhaps be aware of is that, in many ways, to be edited is a luxury. Few readers will pay as much attention or give as much care to your writing as an editor will and both can learn a lot from each other:
“An editor doesn’t just read, he reads well, and reading well is a creative, powerful act…When we read well, we are thinking hard for ourselves—this is the essence of freedom. It is also the essence of editing. Editors are scribes liberated to not simply record and disseminate information, but think hard about it, interpret, and ultimately, influence it.”
Susan Bell
An editor can work like a great sports coach, or a dance teacher, to encourage and shape natural talent and gifts into something that doesn’t look like bloody hard work!
“Once you’ve got to the end, and you know what happens, it’s your job to make it look like you knew exactly what you were doing all along.”
Neil Gaiman
As well as a sports coach or a dance teacher, an editor can also be a forest guide who helps take a writer through a process of discovery and illumination. Editing alone can feel like a very daunting prospect, and a combination of mentoring and editing can be invaluable to reach your goal; something that is always easier with another human being by your side.
“When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.”
Stephen King
