Wednesday, February 3, 2010

My Education

What I’ve Learned About Writing From Being an Editor
1. The best kind of storytelling is one part craft and two parts mystery.
2. First drafts always stink.
3. Insecurity is inevitable.
4. The editorial process was not modeled after Dante’s Inferno.
5. Rome really wasn’t built in a day. Or by one brilliant person.
6. The longer an error lives, the harder it is to kill.
7. Everyone has an opinion.

What I’ve Learned About Editing From Being a Writer
1. There is no such thing as too much affirmation.
2. There is such a thing as too much information.
3. When it comes to perceptions, the editor usually has better eyesight.
4. Truth needs telling most when it’s likely to hurt most.
5. Really good editors sweat as much as their best authors do.
6. Wrestling is good for everyone.
7. It’s all about the reader.