The Best Thing!

 One of my favourite parts of being an editor might surprise you ...

... it's finding something in a manuscript that makes me stop and think: Oh, I love this!

It might be a particularly clever piece of foreshadowing that I didn't see coming. It could be a character moment that hits exactly where it needs to. Sometimes it's a line of description that makes me see the scene clearly or a tiny detail that tells me so much about about a setting without ever explaining it outright.

And occasionally it will be a scene that makes me completely forget that I'm reading a manuscript I'm supposed to be editing 😄

Those moments genuinely make me excited and I think that's because editing isn't just about finding things that need fixing. 

Yes, I'm looking for areas where a story could be strengthened. I'm looking at plot, characters, pacing, structure, worldbuilding and all those other things that make up a novel. But I'm also looking for the things that are already working.

When I find something that makes me stop and think, 'this is really good', I don't just want to tell the writer that I enjoyed it. I want to help them understand why it works.

What is this scene doing well? 

Why does this character moment have such an impact?

What make this piece of writing stand out? 

Can we find ways to bring more of that magic into the rest of the manuscript?

Those moment are one of the biggest reasons I love editing. After all, there's just something incredibly satisfying about watching a story take shape and seeing the brilliant little pieces that make it that writer's story ❤️

Every story starts with a single spark, and every writer gets stuck from time to time. Keep showing up. Keep experimenting. Keep telling the stories only you can tell.

Until next time, may your stories grow wild, your edits be kind, and your brambles always lead to somewhere worth exploring 🌿