#MondayBlogs: Adri Sinclair is a paranormal romance author, published by Booktrope and responsible for the Second Breath Chronicles and the Barefoot Romance brand. 

“They steal your voice!” The scary whispers were put out to me. “They stifle your creativity!” another wrung her hands together as she told me her tale of Editor’s Horror. I was petrified. I wanted to pee my pants just hearing the word and I bit my nails until they bled. Editors often receive the worst reputation attributes. They are seen as vindictive, destructive and merciless passion killers with red markers and a grade card. But… are they?

 I knew I had to face one of those monster-word-haters because you see… I recognise and admit my flaws.

So I took the plunge. It was quite surreal when I received the edits back. “Hey,” I thought, “this isn’t so bad.” I made the changes and published.

By the GODS! Every informal language expert on the planet came at me from all angles. They all shouted one thing at me: YOU NEED AN EDITOR!

Well, I had one. And to be fair, she did a fucking great job.

Soon I realised that what was ‘wrong’ with my writing, wasn’t really all that wrong  – it was a difference in geography. Most of the mistakes in ‘grammar’, was really based on localised rules. Brits don’t have the same grammatical rules [it appears] as the USA does, and therefore… I was wrong. My writing was wrong. My poor editor, bless her heart, she was the wrongest [yes I said it!] of all!

But even so. I soon learned the difference between a grammar Nazi, and an Editor.

You see, Editors, do not care to change your ‘voice’. They don’t care to re-write and re-word your story. They honestly don’t mind your creative stances and your generous licencing on colonialism either. They care about the words, the order you use them in, the correctness of your work and the acceptable standards that face the public eye. Editors , I realised, are not monsters, they are powerful traps that will catch the real monsters – and help you sleep better at night.

I used to dread Editing. I have several reasons for this:

1. I translate from my native tongue into English. It could go either way.

2. My English grammar is non-existent. While I’ve learned a lot, I still get terribly confused and let’s not even mention the difference between favor vs favour! [And when to ‘z’ and when not to ‘z’ !]

3. Grammatical rules are fluid. Yes, unlike math, it changes on a dime and each rule has a subset of rules and my brain? My brain only computes simplicity.

4. Punctuation is the bane of my existence. I write how I speak and how I speak, apparently, is terribly wrong and where I take breaths or place emphasis, too.

But then… I met Tabatha Rhodes. She is my ultimate monster buster! She showed me the gentler side to Editing and the patient side to grammar and the beauty in having words shine like floodlights, rather than twinkle.

My voice-box wasn’t ripped out, ever. I could explain what I wanted to say, and she could show me how to say it better. It was almost as if I had to learn a whole new language. One that wasn’t fearful, bashful or resentful. She nurtured my understanding of when to use which punctuation and how to shape and create my words to be as fluid as the language rules themselves.

I listen now to so many authors who are petrified of the idea about editors – as I was. I encourage them to take the leap [it IS leap year after all, right?]

Some advice to those in the same boat as me, about editors:

1. Don’t just accept the first, cheapest, or nearest. [Especially if they’re just a really picky family member!]

2. Sample edits do not work for me. Honestly, I don’t think an editor can really get into the swing of your style with merely a chapter [which for some is barely two pages long] I remember one of the ‘editors’ I asked to help with a chapter, became so fixated on the ‘lack of information forthcoming’ that she eventually decided not to take the job. When she eventually picked up my book to read it, she apologised and we agreed that sample edits are not terrible ideas – but they don’t compliment certain styles.

3. Free isn’t bad. Paid isn’t better.

4. Be patient, find the match. I believe that the editor must match the genre in the sense of interest. If he/she is going to apply a clinical approach to a soft, sweet romance – that is when the voice-loss happens. That is when the passion is killed. That is when your story become a textbook rather than something warm and creative. [Of course, there ARE exceptions, there ALWAYS are exceptions; so take your time!]

5. Admit your shortcomings. Admit your fear. Admit your weaknesses and lay them bare; but do not compromise on your vision, your dream or your passion. Ultimately, Editors are there to give you advice, not to force you into a corner and beat you with a stick until you do as you’re told. You are still the artist, the call, is still yours to make.

6. Be open to constructive criticism. This is the hardest part – but we have to put our ego aside, we have to put the gentle, fragile artistic soul aside and listen to the input. Weigh it up, debate it, deliberate if you must, but do not ignore it altogether. We tend to forget that we know our characters and stories so well, that we often neglect to ‘see’ the lack of information, or the break in the flow, or the switch in concepts. Because we have the big picture, the entire story, the whole wikipedia and every dream, avenue, used and discarded piece of information in our head… Does not mean we brought it to the table and captured it well enough on paper. THAT is what editors do.

I am sure there are loads more bits of genuinely good advice out there, but the biggest and most helpful I came to, was with this realisation:

Editors are just as passionate about the written language, as we are about writing it. 

Love your Editor today! Give them a shout-out!

Tabatha Rhodes @ Spellbound Book Editing 

I love you lady. Thank you for all the work you’ve done, and still is doing for and with me!

Adri Sinclair is a paranormal romance author, published by Booktrope and responsible for the Second Breath Chronicles and the Barefoot Romance brand. 

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