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Mining the Elements in Good Stories
I like to think of my job as molding, shaping and polishing diamonds in the rough! In this respect, it is my job as an editor to "mine" the good elements in stories or manuscripts while being sure not to chip away at any author’s particular style. Elements of stories include believable and well-developed characters, setting, plot, dialogue, conflict and resolution, etc. When determining the duties of an editor, one may tend to overemphasize the tasks of tearing down, breaking down the material, picking out the flaws, and so on. However, the positive dynamic of the task of an editor is that of taking the very elements of a manuscript that "work" and enabling those elements to shine. An editor’s task is much more than nitpicking every grammar, spelling and syntax error. While an editor helps to clarify the author’s message, there are different phases of the editing process. These phases consist of proofreading and editing. The proofreading phase includes clarifying or correcting sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage, capitalization, and number usage. The editing phase consists more of evaluating content, arrangement of words, style, and format of text. Editors tend to rely a great deal on the critical left-brain that allows the refining and revising of text via conscious thinking. However, an editor also relies on the creative right brain. The creative characteristics of the right brain enable the editor to provide rewriting suggestions and ghostwriting efforts—the polishing, beautifying work behind the scenes! While one cannot emphasize enough the importance of the proofreading process, the "polishing" phase of the editing process is equally important to the finished manuscript. It is this polishing that allows all of the elements of a great story to shine. In conclusion, the chiseling of words and errors of a manuscript is critical in the editing process. However, remember that behind every great author is a great editor—one who puts the chisel down and remembers the polish! Amy Brennan is a senior editor for American Book Publishing. © 2005 American Book Publishing™ *All other trademarks used by permission. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Trademark Use Policy.
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