Well, we started the week out by featuring Libby Drew's story and now we're featuring an article written by Libby Drew! I think it's looking a bit like a Libby Drew week! Enjoy!

When you love the written word and hang out online in places that cater to that love, someone will most likely, at some point, ask you to edit their story. It may be a friend. It may be a writing partner. It may be your ex. Okay, it probably won’t be your ex, although that would be fun in an evil sort of way.

Editing is hard. Really hard. The work put into a good edit might eclipse the work put into writing the story in the first place. Authors, please keep that in mind, because there are good people out there who do this work for free. If you manage to snag such a saint, don’t take them for granted.

Here are a few things for an editor to consider before diving into a manuscript. (And actually, writers, this may help you too.)

1. It’s not your story. It’s not. An editor doesn’t tell a writer how their story should turn out. An editor helps a writer tell the story they want to write. An experienced editor works within the author’s universe.

2. Communicate expectations. Does the author want a thorough edit? Do they simply want notes on plot and flow? Make sure you have a sense of what the author wants and what their mindset is before you start editing. Adjust your approach accordingly.

3. You’re not helping by being too nice. Here's what I want to hear when someone is editing my work: "OMG it's awesome and perfect I love it!!!" Here’s how often I hear that: never. I’m better for that honesty. Resist the temptation to feed a writer’s ego. Your job is to help them make the work better, not to be their mommy.

4. You’re not helping by being an ass, either. When someone places their creation in your hands, they’re also handing you their heart. Don’t crush it. Be gentle. Suggest, don’t order changes. Ask questions. Help clarify. Creativity is so easily smothered, yet it’s integral to humanity. Without the courage to create, there wouldn’t be Mocha Frappuccinos. Think on that.

5. Point out problems, but don’t offer solutions. This is a biggie. It relates back to number one. It’s inevitable that you’ll be struck by ideas about how someone else's universe could be better: What if BFFs Kirk and Spock were actually romantic soul mates? Wait, I need a fictional example. What if vampires didn’t sparkle, but smelled like bacon instead? How awesome would that be?

No. Resist. Ultimately the writer is the best equipped to come up with ideas for new directions. Your job is to spot what's not working, not to rewrite.

6. Why isn’t it working for you? Focus on that. Identify the underlying issue. Don’t try to make it your scene. That just leads to long nights of drinking mojitos and talking trash about Shades of Gray. Then you wake up the next morning and don’t know where your pants are. (So I’ve heard.)

7. Start global, then go smaller. If you see major plot/structural issues, discuss those. Don't get caught up in copyediting and line edits. If the plot feels okay, focus on chapter-level issues. If those look good, feel free to get nit-picky about adverbs and sentence structure. Why this plan of attack? You’ll avoid overwhelming the author, for one. Plus, time spent on line edits is time wasted if a major revision is needed.

8. Personal taste is personal. (Worship my acumen!) Seriously, though, our personal “truths” are often just perception and opinion. We hate things other people love and love things other people hate. Don’t offer up your opinion as law; you may be the only person who feels that way. You’ll look intolerant at best, ignorant at worst. So what if domination isn’t your kink. Don’t judge me… er, the author.

To sum up, remain positive. Let the author craft the story. Try not to crush their spirit, even if you think the manuscript has miles to go. Just be helpful. Be supportive. Leave the story and the writer in better shape than you found them. That’s the foundation of editing.

~Libby