I have three editors with three publishers so a bit of clarification is necessary. Right now I’m talking about Ann Curtis at Loose ID. She hung in there with me when I sent her a manuscript that didn’t live up to their expectations Fortunately, my second shot at getting it right resulted in the pat on the back we writers live and grovel for. Oh yes, we’re a pathetic bunch. Rejection is a core part of this crazy business, and although we know that, we aren’t just pathetic, we’re insecure. We want everyone to love our writing, an impossible task of course.. As an example, I just gave up on a book by a bestselling author after 50 pages because IMO it was all backstory. The author wouldn’t be a bestseller if she hadn’t met many, many reader expectations over the years and books. Just because I’m super critical doesn’t mean I’m the ultimate authority on what’s now in my ‘recycle’ stack. It just didn’t work for me.

Back to my gratitude to my editor. I can’t remember how many books Ann and I have worked on together, not that many. But, and I hope she agrees, I believe we speak the same language. In a few words she can direct me in the direction she knows a scene needs to go. She knows how to shore up characterization, or rather she makes the right suggestions and asks the right questions so I’m the one doing the actual writing.

Because I do a lot of capture/BDSM erotica, I climbed onboard that horse with this latest novella. The problem was, my hero wasn’t a rough, tough dude and his actions, which bordered on force, didn’t ring true. Ann brought me up short by pointing out what I already knew but had chosen to ignore, that rape or even the suggestion of same is an absolute NO NO in erotica. Tail between my legs and po’ed at myself, I went back to work. To say I did a total rewrite is a stretch, but I came darn close. By the time I was done, I felt good about what I’d accomplished and Ann’s email some 24 hrs later reinforced my belief.

Bottom line, this lesson had better stick. Note to self, treat your characters with respect and dignity.

Question for the writers out there: has there been one thing you brought back from an editor’s comments that shed the brightest light on what leads to good writing?

Vonna

www.VonnaHHarper.com