by Kariss Lynch, @Kariss_Lynch
Raise your hand if you love reading through editor’s comments. Anyone? Me neither. Even if you fall in the camp of enjoying the editing process, you probably still struggle with some of the comments that come back on that long-labored-over draft.
Let me tell you this up front, I have never accepted every comment from a content editor. But I have considered every comment from content editors. You know your story best, however, you are sometimes too close to your story to see the flaws. So here are a few steps to think through as you consider your content editor’s comments.
- Put on your “objective hat.”
Writing (and editing) is very subjective. It is important when reading your editor’s comments to put aside your emotional and personal feelings toward your story so you can see your story with clear eyes. There ARE flaws, make no mistake. If you need to, put your story away and chew on the comments for a few days or a week. This will increase your objectivity.
- Know your research, your characters, and your story world.
My very talented editor for Shaken once told me that it was unrealistic for my characters who lived in the south to be sitting outside in December around a campfire. In fact, she deleted the scene and told me to include a wood burning stove. While her comment would work for the north, it didn’t work for the south. In fact, I didn’t even know what a wood burning stove was. I kindly but firmly shared my feedback with her. However, because I didn’t live in the specific state I was writing about, I did double check all the details to make sure I had researched correctly the first time. I took her advice. I dismissed what I knew wouldn’t work. But I still confirmed to make sure I didn’t need to adjust anything on my end.
- Ask the professional and relational advice of other writer friends.
On my latest book, Heart’s Cry, my very talented editor told me she felt like my story should begin in my third chapter. I was outraged and hurt. I loved my first two chapters. But I emailed them to several of my writer friends with her feedback. You know what they all said? “I’m so sorry, but I understand what she is saying and do agree. Have you thought about…?”
I began to reshape my story beginning in chapter three. My editor wanted a good story. But my friends and mentor know me and are out for my personal and professional success. When they all said the same thing, I listened. I’m so thankful I did.
- Learn to ask yourself “how.”
Too often when we receive feedback, we sink into an emotional black hole and wonder why the editor would say those things about our perfectly crafted story. But over the years, I have learned to ask a better question: “How can I take what they are saying needs to be fixed and make the adjustment but stay true to the story?” Asking “how” helps you move forward. Asking “how” helps you make your story the best of both worlds—combining the feedback of the editor with your heart and knowledge of the story.
Sometimes we have to stick to our guns. Sometimes we need to take the feedback fully. And sometimes we need to discover a hybrid approach. Your editor is an expert and there to help. But they are not the final authority on your story. The more you lean in to their counsel and add your own discernment, the more you will turn your beautiful story into a masterpiece. Happy editing, friends! You’ve got this!
When a car almost runs over him in the middle of a snowstorm, ex-Navy SEAL Micah Richards knows he’s hit rock bottom. After the deaths of several of his teammates, Micah is sure of two things: he only hurts those he tries to protect and their deaths are his fault. He has one family left on his list to pay his respects but stranded on the side of a mountain in the middle of the night, Micah has run low on options until Casey Stewart comes careening into his life.
The last thing Casey wants is a man, especially one as charming and handsome as Micah who reminds her of her heartache from high school. And especially not when she has so much on her plate: kids trapped in the middle of bad neighborhood cycles at home and a sister who needs out from under their mother’s roof. But helping is in her nature, and something about Micah makes her want to let him in.
Now in the same city, Micah and Casey just can’t seem to stay away from one another, despite Casey’s best efforts. The more, he gets to know the community, the more he wants to stay. When a local drug dealer goes awry, Casey has only one person to turn to—the one who could hurt her heart the most. Micah must face the demons of his past to fight for his new team and new dream—a woman with the heart of a warrior who fights for others. A woman he would die for.
Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and loves writing romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, Kariss goes on adventures with her own personal handsome hero, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.