Line Edits

A few months back, I said I was going to pay for a line edit.

The edit came back a while ago, and I’m not quite sure what to think. I was hoping to get torn to pieces and put back together as new, improved, better writer. That did not happen. My editor suggested changes but not as many as I hoped nor as vicious.

I’m going take this as a sign that I’m on the right track.

My editor did explain the difference between narration and narrator in a way that I had never considered before. I had always conflated narration with narrator because narrators narrate. Right?

Conflating the two concepts has always led to a problem with narrative distance in my stories. I had a habit of being either a folksy storyteller around a campfire or a court-reporter with no feelings.

Both methods work but not in the same story.

My editor’s advice has fundamentally changed the way I think about writing. Money spent was well worth it.