Part II of my Interview with Peter Gelfan

Editor Extraordinaire and Author of Found Objects

On the challenges of being an editor, the balance between editing and writing and what matters in writing today.

Peter Gelfan is the kind of editor every writer wants. He has the courage to tell you everything that's wrong with your work while also pointing you in the right direction. He's also a writer, the author of Found Objects, an intriguing new novel about love, loss and acceptance that showcases crisp, powerful writing while challenging our conventional views on love. Finally, Peter is a great teacher. He always asks the right question, but he'll never give you the answer. And that's how you develop good writing, folks.

What's the best part of your job as an editor? The worst?

The best part is reading the next draft of manuscript I’ve edited and seeing that not only did the writer understand the problems I brought up, but also solved them in a creative way that enhanced the rest of the work. The worst is the rare occasion when the next draft isn't much better and the problems remain unsolved and apparently not understood.

How do you balance your job as an editor and your job as a writer? Are your best moments as an editor really different from your best moments as a published author?

I find I have to do one or the other. I can’t write in the mornings and edit in the afternoons. For that matter, I only edit one manuscript at a time. The shift of gears takes up too much time and is frustrating.

The best moments of each are quite different. Writing, the pleasure comes from dreaming up a great idea for the book and making it work well, even better than expected. When editing, to some degree I have to set aside my own creativity as a writer. If I don’t, it’s all too easy to take the client’s idea, run away with it, and start rewriting the manuscript as my own—hey, how about turning your old-man hero into a young woman and setting the novel in modern-day Cleveland rather than Roman Carthage? So I have to always keep in mind what the author wants, and come up with creative ways to deal with whatever stands in his way.

Do you use an editor when you write?

Yes, mostly in the early stages, when I want input on the general idea, characters, and so on.

How did you come up with the idea for Found Objects?

I could give you a raconteur-worthy explanation, but it probably wouldn’t be true. I don’t know where story ideas come from. It’s like falling in love, we have no idea why we fall for this person instead of that one, but after we do, we come up with all sorts of handy reasons, both plausible and not so.

The general question—why do people pair up romantically, sexually, and domestically instead of coming to a more interesting and useful configuration of three or four or more—has knocked around my brain since puberty. But such arrangements rarely last long. How come? Even from close up, or especially so, it’s hard to fathom. The question had prompted a couple of starts earlier that never bore fruit, but then the central premise of Found Objects popped into being and began to grow.

What are the most common issues that you find when editing fantasy?

Some writers become so fascinated by the fantasy world they have thought up that they think it’s their story, and so the novel consists mostly of a guided tour. We get exotic lands, strange creatures, different forms of magic, lots of special effects, intricately designed backstory, but too often little real plot. In fantasy, it’s easy to forget that the world the writer, godlike, has created is, in the universe of the novel, mere setting. In fantasy, setting is often more important than in an earthbound novel, but it’s still just a stage upon which a story of characters in conflict will unfold.

What matters in writing today?

The same as always. Having something to say that could be of value to someone else, and saying it well.

The novel is still evolving, and it’s hard if not impossible to predict where it’s going. But I have a theory, not about where’s it’s headed but why it continues to thrive in whatever form. A novel allows and invites readers to live a life and even its death as if it were their own. Humans may be the only creature that can learn from others’ experiences without directly witnessing them. Stories expand a thousandfold the scope of our innate self-education process of trial and error while avoiding its frequent real-life consequences of injury, death, or wasted years. We absorb those lessons not as dry information but as ersatz experience that, like real life, engages not only the intellect but all our faculties. It’s easy to brush off fiction as entertainment or artsy diversion, but in fact it’s a vital element in our personal and cultural advancement.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us, Peter. It's been a pleasure talking to you.

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Peter Gelfan has been editing and ghostwriting both fiction and nonfiction for the past 20 years. His clients range from beginners to published and bestselling authors and celebrities. He also edits screenplays and has sold two he wrote under his own name, one of which was produced and recently released in France. His novel Found Objects was published in May 2013.

Author contact: gelfanp@gmail.com

Author site: http://petergelfan.com/

 

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Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and three very opinionated cats.

When she is not writing novels, Dora also writes features for Murder By Four, an award-winning blog for people interested in reading and writing, and Savvy Authors, where writers help writers.

E-mail:Dora@doramachado.com

Website: www.doramachado.com

Blog: http://www.doramachado.com/blog/

Newsletter: http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoraMachado

An Interview with Editor Extraordinaire Peter Gelfan

Author of Found Objects

On the advantages of editing your manuscript, choosing the right editor, and what's more difficult: editing the newbie or editing the established writer?

I've never met Peter Gelfan in person, and yet when I write, I hear his voice in my mind. No, I'm not sick, at least not yet. You see, Peter has been my editor throughout most of my writing career. He has read every book of mine that has been published and tackled all of my writing vices. He has applied his expertise, passion and humor to my work and changed the way I think about writing in general and fantasy in particular. Today, we are lucky to have him at MB4 answering our questions.  

Welcome to MB4, Peter. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Why did you choose a career in editing? How long have you been an editor?

The career in editing chose me. Twenty or more years ago, a good friend of mine, a successful novelist, offered to put a manuscript of mine into the hands of Renni Browne, who, he said, could get it to agents and publishers. I got a nice note back from Renni saying she liked the manuscript but thought it needed some editing. Out of vanity, I declined the offer. Renni, who had founded and was then running The Editorial Department, made me another offer. She had a client looking for a ghostwriter for a nonfiction project—was I interested? I needed the money and found the challenge interesting, so I accepted. The book got published and did well. Renni continued to offer me projects, mostly editorial, and I continued to need money, so the career was born.

For those writers who are sitting on the fence about having their manuscripts edited: How will editing make a difference in their work? And will editing help them to sell their manuscripts?

Often the biggest benefit to having your work edited professionally is that it gets a careful, objective read by someone who has no axe to grind other than to help you make your manuscript better. Your mother and friends either want to be nice to you or try to convince you to quit screwing around and get a real job. Besides, an editor says a lot more than “I liked it, it’s great!” or “Couldn’t get through it, dude.” An editor can tell you what’s working, what’s not, and why. A good editor will then help you produce the book you want to write rather than push you to write the book he or she think you should write.

I’ve heard agents and acquisitions editors say that knowing a manuscript has been edited shows the writer is serious about the work and can take suggestions, though I’ve never heard one say that the mere fact of its having been edited has ever made the difference between a no and a yes. But a better manuscript—a tauter plot, more vividly fascinating characters, more depth, a stronger voice, and a polished style—will certainly be more likely to sell. It will also teach the author how to do better with the next project from the start.

With so many services and freelance editors out there, how does a writer choose the right editor for his/her work?

Research. Websites that cater to writers often have discussion groups and even ratings. If you know writers who have used an editor, ask them for recommendations pro or con. I also think it helps to talk to the prospective editor and get a feel for how your personalities and sensibilities will mesh.

What's more difficult, editing the new writer or editing the established writer?

Interesting question. In a way, it’s easier to edit a newbie because there’s so much low-hanging fruit, like no plot, unconvincing characters, stiff dialogue, amateurish style. For those writers, it’s a steep learning curve, by which I mean they learn a lot of basic stuff very quickly.

For the established writer, the task is more difficult. The basics are almost always in place. The manuscript is better than 95 percent of what you normally read. But the author doesn’t think it’s quite right yet, and you have to agree … but what’s wrong? It takes detective work. Where did the story sag a little? Where did attention start to wander? What was unsatisfying about the end, and where did that problem start? 

Sometimes the key clue lies chapters before the problem arises: Why did the protagonist do that? There’s always an ah-ha moment or two, and you know you’re right when the author says, “Oh my god, why didn’t I see that?”

You are so right! I've been there myself. Thank you so much for answering our questions, Peter. Folks, Peter will be back on MB4 Wednesday May 7th, discussing the challenges of being an editor, the balance between editing and writing, and what matters in writing today. Don't miss it!

  

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Peter Gelfan has been editing and ghostwriting both fiction and nonfiction for the past 20 years. His clients range from beginners to published and bestselling authors and celebrities. He also edits screenplays and has sold two he wrote under his own name, one of which was produced and recently released in France. His novel Found Objects was published in May 2013.

Author contact: gelfanp@gmail.com

Author site: http://petergelfan.com/

 

****

Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. When she is not writing novels, Dora also writes features for Murder By Four, an award-winning blog for people interested in reading and writing, and Savvy Authors, where writers help writers. She lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and three very opinionated cats.

E-mail:Dora@doramachado.com

Website: www.doramachado.com

Blog: http://www.doramachado.com/blog/

Newsletter: http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoraMachado

What An Editor Can Do For You . . . If You Let Her By Dora Machado

copyright 2013, Dora Machado

 by Dora Machado

When it comes to editors, I haven’t always a believer. As a writer, part of me assumed that if you needed an editor, you weren’t ready for prime time. The smarter part of me suspected that the cocky part of me was being—well—cocky. So a few years back, I decided to challenge my assumptions and hired an editor to review my manuscript prior to submission. Wow. The mind-blowing, eye-opening experience resulted in the award-winning Stonewiser series.  I realized that, no matter how well you write, every author can benefit from having an editor, and a qualified, experienced, insightful editor can impact both a story and an author in profound and lasting ways.

Of course, the editing experience has a lot to do with the quality of the editor, the interaction between the writer and the editor, and the author’s ability to capitalize on the editor’s advice. I have been extremely fortunate to work with some of the best editors in my genre, but I have to credit my publisher, Lida Quillen of Twilight Times Books, for making this latest match. When she assigned Barb Caffrey to edit The Curse Giver, she brought together two experienced, opinionated, passionate lovers of the fantasy genre with stubborn streaks, high standards and even higher expectations. I have to wonder: Either Lida Quillen is a troublemaker or she’s the wisest publisher on the planet.

Generally speaking, an editor’s contributions range from the very simple to the very complex. Writer’s ego aside, a good editor will always remind us of the basic principles of writing and the pesky details we might overlook when submerged in our manuscript’s depths. I’m always surprised—not to mention embarrassed—by the simple finds, the nits, typos and common mistakes my editor catches. I blame writer’s myopia for those easy-to-fix bloopers. When you’ve read the same paragraph twenty-six times, the eye doesn’t see what’s before it anymore, but rather what the mind thinks the eye should see. I might be sharp and thrive at self-editing, but once the eyes go numb, self-editing becomes a delusion.

Beyond the simple contributions, an editor has a lot more to offer, not just to the author but to the story. A good editor can offer perspective and objectivity, which can often become casualties of the creative process. Objectivity is an important quality when evaluating a story. It’s not about how well the story is written. It’s about how well the story reads, how it flows—not in your author’s mind, where the movie has played so many times—but in the virgin mind, where the story runs what can sometimes be a very different course through a new geography.

This is exactly what happened when Barb Caffrey read The Curse Giver‘s manuscript. She pointed out the strengths right away—assets I immediately wanted to preserve during the editing process. But she also sensed a weakness, a kink in the story’s flow, a blind spot for the reader that didn’t exist in my author’s mind because I knew the story’s outcome all along.

Barb recommended that I add a new point of view to the story. I gasped when I got her e-mail. I imagined my word count—the bane of my writer’s existence—soaring. I thought about all the work it was going to take to integrate this new point of view into the story, the details I would have to tweak, the time and energy I would have to spend . . .

I sat on my author’s indignation for a whole five minutes before I began to consider the suggestion in earnest. I had been sort of wondering if The Curse Giver‘s first few chapters were strong enough to capture the reader’s mind and launch them into the grand adventure that awaited them. You know an editor is gifted when she jabs that needle directly into your nerve. You know she is exceptional when she answers the very question you feared asking.

“Okay, all right.” I took several deep breaths and forced my mind open. “So maybe Barb has a point.”
I had the perfect character built into the story to develop a new point of view.  As Barb pointed out, I could keep my word count down by using the new point of view sparingly in a ruthless and utilitarian approach. She kindly encouraged me to at least give it a try. It doesn’t hurt when your editor combines excellence and kindness, so I sat down, wrote out the new POV, and tested it by inserting it in the story.

I purred like a satisfied kitten when I reread the amended story. My questions were answered. My doubts were put to rest. The story flowed beautifully. The new point of view strengthened and clarified the opening chapters, supporting the early development of the reader’s trance. Added bonus? Readers loved Severo, and they routinely tell me how much they like this quirky character who got his own POV at the last minute, courtesy of Barb Caffrey.

If you are a writer, you know that writing requires continuous self-development. Our trade demands the highest standards of critical review and our stories are improved by a rigorous editing process. An editor can provide all of that and more, especially if she has tons of practical experience in the genre, is a good fit to your style, and has secured your trust with high-impact recommendations. In addition, a good editor helps you build confidence in your writing. But remember, editing works only if the author is open to changes and suggestions. Take it from me:  An editor can improve your writing and your manuscript . . . but only if you let her.


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Dora Machado is the award winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats. To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com or contact her at Dora@doramachado.com.  

Subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/ sign up for her at newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php, Facebook and Twitter.

For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html.

Edits? Who needs edits?

I know it seems like I am on a never-ending soapbox these days, but there are a few things that need to be said. Edits? Who needs edits, you ask? YOU DO!!

Used to be an author cared about their work, and would get it in tip-top shape before sending it off to be published. Well, not anymore. Now everyone thinks that they are the best and only authority on book writing and they zip a story out and publish it on Amazon or Smashwords and never once think maybe it isn't perfect.

This lackadaisical (— adj:1.lacking vitality and purpose 2.lazy or idle, esp in a dreamy way) approach to books and the whole process of publishing is getting so wide-spread that I fear never finding a book that is properly edited.

You should have seen my rant on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/mkimsmith ) about a book that had 14 exclamation points on the first page of an unnecessary prologue. Sigh.

It is just a distraction when reading. That's the main thing, and if you, Murderer, turn off your reader, they may never pick up a book of yours again. Yes, even though writers have gotten lazy, readers haven't lost their finicky appetites for good books.

So, that's it-go find a good editor. Oh, and beware! Some of those editors out there are no more than lazy writers who decided no one wanted to read their poorly written books so they are now going to do for you what they were too lazy to do for themselves.

Do your homework!!

On Being an Editor

Postnote: I fixed Nathan's link- it had an extra space - duh - **** When I first sat down to write out this blog post, I was totally unsure how to go about saying all the things I wanted to say. I know I want an editor. I know the work that I am tooling out right now is going to need one. I know how hard it is to find a good one, and how difficult it is as a creative person to find a good one and LISTEN to their sage advice. So, I am wandering all about the interwebs looking at this and that, playing on Stumbleupon while I think about this post, and end up on Twitter, and for some strange reason, (God, yes, it was divinely inspired) -- I found my old friend Nathan Bransford's blog. No, we are not friends in the real way, just, I love his blog and used to be a regular reader until my life became a serious dump and I had to go to the mountain and have a come to Jesus meeting with myself. In the interim, I lost touch with it.

Now, Nathan used to be a literary agent, if you don't know him. He was with Curtis Brown for a long time. Now he is an author. And he has great info for me, and you, if you write. If you are a casual follower of this blog, more into mystery than writing, you might want to ignore this post. Otherwise, go to Nathan's blog and read the post entitled Ten Commandments for editing someone's work. It has some really insightful things in it. Things that we all as writers need to remember when we are editing someone's work, and what to remind our editors when they are editing ours. By the way, I think number two is the most critical, FYI. If we cannot see the author's vision (or they see ours) then it is a sure thing that whoever is doing the critique is going to miss a lot of the mark. Maybe the whole tamale. So, go and enjoy reading this awesome post on that blog. Yeah, today, I give you permission to leave Mb4 for greener pastures, but come on back tomorrow. Happy Thursday, Murderers.