“Am I wasting my time writing?” the client asked.

Some time ago, a prospective client reached out to me regarding their manuscript that they were still writing; they were approximately a quarter of the way through the first draft. They were seeking quotes for editing (which is hard to give without having a full manuscript to consider), but more specifically, they wanted to know if I thought their story would be good enough to get published. (They actually asked this in their initial contact email.)

Let's ignore the fact that the story wasn't written yet, because any story that isn't written can't be published. I knew what the writer was asking. They wanted to know if I thought their writing style was good enough to be published.

That particular question is incredibly difficult to answer, because there are so many factors involved—and many of those factors are subjective.

So, I evaded the specific question (yes, evaded), and carried on like I do with any other prospective client under normal circumstances. I gave my thoughts about what I saw in the writing sample and proposed a path forward.

For this writer, I suggested that they just write. I would be more than happy to work with them on any story that they wrote (I liked their natural writing voice), but unless they wanted mentoring or coaching, there wasn't much I could do to help them until they had a finished manuscript. I suggested they finish their manuscript, get some feedback from other writers and edit their story to the best of their ability, then come back to me for a manuscript assessment. It was the most cost effective option for them.

But they really wanted the answer to their question, and their persistent email trail would not let it rest. "Do I have enough to make the grade and get this [story] published or am I wasting my time?"

As a writer myself, I understand the motivation behind such a question. We spend so much time pouring our heart and soul into our writing, and we want to know if we have a shot at breaking into this business with the manuscript that we're working on.

But for the first time, I had to push back and challenge a prospective client about their motivations for writing.

Editing software can never replace an editor

Editing software will never replace the trained eye of an editor.

I'm an editor, so of course I'm going to say that. But I'm not saying it because I want to keep my job. Sure, there is a desire to always have money coming in, but it's more than that. I make this statement because I honestly believe it—as a writer.

When talking about editing software, I'm talking about the different apps like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Hemingway, AutoCrit, and one I recently discovered, Fictionary.

I will be the first to admit that these programs have their uses. For a writer who is floundering in the dark, they might add a little direction. But for the writer who really doesn't know their craft, these programs can do more harm than good.

For any writer wanting to learn their craft and take their writing to the next level, nothing will replace the eye of another human being.

It's time to talk about all those automated programs that are floating around and point out the flaws—and why they can't replace a human editor.

The Camera of Point of View

It's not surprising that a conversation about writing eventually turns to a conversation about point-of-view (POV). Exactly how the narrative shapes the perspective of the story will have a direct impact on the reader's experience.

The POV is not just about understanding which character will act as the narrator. Yes, that's part of it, but the POV also has a depth of perception that defines how much the reader knows about what is going on.

Classifying the POV isn't as straightforward as saying that a passage uses first, second, or third person. It's much more than that.

Today, let's look at an overview of the different narrative POVs that you might find within fiction, include a few examples, and possibly provide some insights into what effect the different POVs might have.

The difference between romance and women’s fiction (Guest Blog from Carron Stevenson)

The difference between a critique partner and a beta reader

Getting another set of eyes on that manuscript is vital. Sometimes, we think we wrote something in a certain way, but for whatever reason, what we thought we put on the page isn't what we actually put on the page. Sometimes, we get too close to our stories that we can't see the forest for the trees. Without having that external input, vital issues easily slip through the system.

It can be a costly venture to employ a developmental editor, something that can be beyond the budgets of many writers. But a developmental editor is NOT the only way you can get that vital feedback.

Every writer I know, myself included, uses critique partners and beta readers as part of their editorial process. However, there seems to be some confusion about what these two types of readers do.

It's time to delve into the nitty-gritty as to what makes a critique partner different from a beta reader.

Avoiding the Shiny, New Syndrome

There comes a point within a manuscript's life cycle where it loses its shiny luster. Sometimes, it's because we've been working on the manuscript long enough that there is nothing new in it for us to discover. Or maybe we've gotten stuck and have no idea how to move the story forward. Or perhaps we've hit a scene that we just don't want to write though we know it needs to be there.

Regardless the reason for why the manuscript now seems dull to our imaginations, that will be when a new shiny bauble dangles in front of us, distracting our brains from the story we are meant to be working on.

Some writers will chase the new shiny, but following every shiny, new idea can lead to the road filled with incomplete manuscripts. There is one thing that all successful novelists have in common: They finished a manuscript.

As such, every writer wishing to pursue publication needs to develop the discipline needed to persevere on a manuscript that has lost its shiny-new luster.

Trick from the Editor’s Hat: Create character style sheets as you go.

Editing is a BIG job, and sometimes it can seem like it's taking forever. Trying to get a story to flow and hit all the emotional beats at the right points… Getting your head around the nuances of voice, show vs tell, and the dialogue flow… And we shouldn't forget the dreaded punctuation and grammar.

But sometimes, editing has nothing to do with voice, writing style, or what might be in the dictionary. Sometimes, it's the little details that define our characters or settings that need to be filtered through an entire manuscript (or multiple manuscripts).

When you are working with a long story, the little details can sometimes get lost among the screes of words in all the random notes and files that might be thrown all over the place. This is particularly problematic when working in a series where particular characters might be used in story after story.

To help keep the little details straight, create character style sheets as you go.

Scene & Sequel, but not that Scene & Sequel

Sometimes, certain words carry multiple meanings and those multiple meanings can be at complete odds with one another. And when those words are literary terms, writers everywhere are bound to get confused.

The words scene and sequel are two such words.

The common meaning of a scene is as we might see it in a film or on stage. A setting has been pieced together and the characters walk into view to do some action or talk about random things. As writers, we talk about scene transitions with great importance and many of us will break down our manuscripts into scenes. But this is not the scene I'm talking about today.

Nope… Today, we're talking about a scene as the portion of the story that propels the action forward, where characters attempt to achieve goals, and things happen. Scenes are moments of conflict rooted in a constant stream of time. (Note: flashback scenes are rooted in the past.)

The word sequel is just as confusing. Normally, when we talk about sequels, we're talking about the next story in a series. But nope, not today.

Today, sequel refers to those passages where characters reflect over what just happened and form the plan to move forward.

After every scene, you need a sequel.

Are you confused yet? Let's see if we can do something about that.

Passive Voice: Does it have a use?

It seems like every other day I come across something that is grumbling at me about passive voice. Sometimes, it's the ProWritingAid app, more often than not highlighting deliberate constructions carefully crafted for show. Other times, it's a beta reader attempting to confuse me with their commentary. And occasionally, it will be a discussion with writers about the differences between active and passive voice.

And every time I have a passive voice conversation, I end up scratching my head.

Why? Because some people are so against the use of passive voice that they go out of their way to make everything active. Yes, it is advisable to use active sentence constructions where possible, but sometimes, writing demands the use of passive voice to make it stronger.

I can hear all the naysayers now, ready to pounce. But do you really understand what passive voice is? You think you do, but it's time to shed a few myths and get down to the heart of the passive vs active voice argument.

Let's start with defining what passive voice is.

Editors talk to one another.

In my most recent blog post, I wrote about how initial communications with editors are important in forging those editor/writer relationships. From those initial emails, we get a sense of what type of client you'll be.

But there was an aspect to those initial communications that I had alluded to but didn't say. The truth of the matter: editors talk to one another.

We have support networks of our own, and we will lean on each other for support. And we talk to one another about our clients—both the good and the bad.

A good editor would never give out identifying information without the client's permission, but if we encounter a problematic client, we will seek advice from the collective brain trust on what to do. And if we encounter a client who is the client from hell, the red flags are sent throughout the editing community.

I have seen many of these red-flag posts over the years.

But there is a flip side to this too. For those clients who are lovely to work with, we'll bend over backwards to help in whatever way we can. If we're unable to fit them into our schedules, or if we don't work with their genres, we'll help them find another editor. And when our clients have books that are coming out, we will help spread the word.

If you're reading this post, I'm hoping that you want to be classified as a client we editors bend over backwards for. Well, here's how to get onto that list.

BE NICE.

PAY YOUR BILL.

It's that simple.