A few years ago I spoke at the Sun City Writers Group (Writers Circle) in Palm Desert, California.
To my surprise, Linda Pierce was in attendance. She had been a student in my Palos Verdes “Writing the Novel” class several years earlier and I had no idea she and her husband had moved to Palm Desert. (For information about the book, Writing the Novel, click here.)
The event was well attended and I had a great time. I spoke about specific tips and tricks I use when I write. Some of the topics covered were “How to deal with writers’ block,” “How to create an outline,” “The importance of pacing,” “Creating ‘character biographies,'” and many other topics.
I also recounted a humbling story about the importance of an editor. When I was writing my first novel, The Atlantean Document, I showed the first ten pages to a friend of mine who worked for the Hollywood Reporter. When he returned the pages it looked as though he had opened a vein and bled all over them. Red ink was everywhere.
When I recovered, I realized that many of the mistakes were repeated, which made things seem worse than they first appeared. Still, there were a lot of things that needed to be done better.
Even though the experience was humbling, it was one of the most important writing experiences I ever had. I swallowed my pride, focused, and did not repeat the mistakes that had been pointed out to me so vividly.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where someone who really knows what they’re doing is willing to help you, don’t be defensive. Seize the opportunity. Learn everything you can from the experience. Readers don’t know who the editor is. You get all the credit. And the blame. If you find an editor that makes your work better and helps you improve as an author, grab him (or her) and don’t let them go.
The same is true of music or any other skill you’re working to develop. My Thank You Page is all about thanking the people who helped my with my Parallel album (which supports the Parallel novel). Without their help and guidance I could never have been able to mix and master the album on my own. And even if I was able to do it on my own it would have taken a LOT longer.