A Second Pair of Eyes: the joy of working with a sympathetic editor

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books, editing, writing

Having gone my own way with writing and publishing in recent years, it’s a while since I’ve submitted anything to the care of an editor. It’s surprising how many ridiculous mistakes creep into your work – mistakes, if we’re honest, that we might laugh at in somebody else’s book – not just matters of proofreading but of sheer illogicality or poor continuity, that pass you by no matter how many times you check. It takes a second pair of eyes.

There’s a fine balance in editing, between gently improving a text and turning it into something the writer doesn’t recognise. The editor’s job is not an easy one. Some do the bare minimum – correcting obvious errors but not really offering much to tighten or improve the story-telling. Others definitely overcook it, so the writer is left feeling criticised and invaded. As I said, it’s a fine balance.

So it’s a real pleasure when you meet an editor who genuinely seems to ‘get’ what you’ve written, isn’t afraid to make suggestions for improvements, picks up all the silly things you’ve missed, gently draws attention to your writing foibles, but nonetheless leaves you feeling it’s still absolutely your own work. The text I submitted to my new editor is only about 12,000 words – a very short book – but she found many a phrase that benefited from a careful rewrite. I really couldn’t argue with much of her gentle critique, and I came out of the edit pleasantly unbruised and with writerly confidence intact.

I suppose it’s possible I’m a bit less precious than I used to be. It’s natural to be defensive about your writing, especially when you first start – but you do eventually get used to letting other people pick it over. Or maybe I’ve just found an editor who combines fully understanding what I’ve written with a light touch in suggesting ways to improve it! Either way, she now has a second text of mine to look at, and I’m perfectly relaxed about it, convinced it’s in good hands. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what she has to say.

The editing process can be a bit of a trial – or even a battle of wills – and many writers dread it. But it’s a lot less painful with a sympathetic editor on your side.

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Writing Groups and the Rule of Six

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covid age, meetings, mental health, writing groups

That sounds like one of my chapter titles – but, no, it’s just another difficulty caused by a newly-imposed anti-Covid rule.

Here in Weymouth, we had finally arranged a way for our writing group members to meet in person, at least temporarily, by getting together in the pleasant surroundings of a local park. We brought folding chairs and something to drink, and spent a very, very pleasant hour-and-a-half of socially distanced chatting, catching up, and discussing ideas and problems with our writing. It felt wonderfully normal. Despite having stayed in touch from the beginning of lockdown via email and latterly Zoom, it was the opportunity for off-the-cuff chitchat that made it so delightful, we all agreed. Everyone had missed that very keenly. I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that everyone’s mood and mental outlook were improved dramatically – mine certainly were.

There were just five of us enjoying each other’s company in the sunshine that day. Shall we do this again next week? we asked. The answer was a resounding yes. Maybe a few others will be able to join us? Yes again. I was aware of two or three other writing group members who might come along another time. And there, my dears, lies the difficulty.

Two days later, the Rule of Six arrived (in England, at least): no more than six people from different households to meet anywhere, indoors or out. With eight possible participants (so far, and maybe a few more), there is an obvious problem. I have accepted the restrictions we have endured in recent months with as much equanimity as I can muster, but I will admit to a few tears of sheer frustration at this point. I need hardly say that trying to organise any kind of free-and-easy, in-person social interaction is going to be tricky when these government rulings are designed to prevent precisely that.

Nonetheless, I believe that these kinds of meetings are at least as important for our mental health as anti-covid restrictions are for our physical health – increasingly so, as time goes on. So I will go back to the drawing board and continue to seek ways to make our meetings happen, uphill struggle though it might be. I absolutely resist the idea of forcing people to ‘book a place’, so my first solution has been to say we’ll welcome anyone who wishes to come along – and if more than six turn up we’ll form two smaller groups. There’s plenty of room. Wish me luck!

Choosing the Right Title for your Novel

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book titles, writing, writing groups

Choosing titles for novels is a subject very much on my mind at present, partly because friends in my writing group are seeking the right titles for their books, and partly because after re-editing a book of my own, I realise it needs re-titling, too.

Whales and Strange Stars, much as I loved the title, was always problematic – I had many queries from potential readers asking if it was about whaling, clearly an off-putting subject. It isn’t; the title was merely a metaphor for the heroine’s craving for adventure. Still, I realised, as I worked on the book, that the title may have held it back, and I began to look for another title before I re-publish it along with its sequel.

So, what does the writer need to consider when they’re choosing a title? One of the things I noticed is that the better-known the author is, the less important the title is. Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light tells the reader nothing, really, about the book or its genre – but as the long-awaited final part of a popular trilogy, people (including me) found it and bought it regardless. You can’t get away with this sort of thing as an unknown (or largely unknown) author. This brings up a couple of further points.

Firstly, if you’re writing a series, it’s probably best to keep the first title clear and simple; if people like that book, they will find other books in the series however obscure their titles. Secondly, it probably helps if your title gives a clear direction to the type of book you’re offering. Murder at the Old Vicarage, for example, would give the reader a good idea of what to expect – genre: murder mystery, possibly of the Miss Marple variety.

Another point to keep in mind is that the title is part of the cover, and that might also be instrumental in guiding potential readers to the book. We found a wonderful, literal cover illustration for Whales and Strange Stars – but, with hindsight, that might have simply confused readers as to the content even further. It’s a mistake I won’t make again.

If you’re self-publishing, it’s important to consider the title and cover together from the outset, if you can. Between them they should make the genre clear, create the right atmosphere, and entice the reader. Yes, I know; getting all that right is a minor nightmare, which is why I’m glad I have plenty of time to think about it while I finish the sequel. I also need to consider the title/cover for the second book, so the series has a recognisable look. It’s all about branding.

So, you ask, what did you do about all this, Kath? As usual, I began by consulting my writers’ group. I sent them some possible titles and asked what they thought. To my surprise, they plumped for what I thought was the simplest (and dullest) title: The Secrets of Wych Ferry. How does that stand up in terms of genre, atmosphere and reader enticement, then? Well, the word secrets suggest a mystery, which the story is; the word ferry suggests a river setting, which it has; and a secret is always enticing.

On the negative side, it gives no hint that this book is set in the 18^th century; and there are thousands of other books called The Secret of… something. The first point could be counteracted by a suitable choice of cover illustration or design, and typography. The second might or might not be an advantage, since the book might appear in online searches with others – or get hopelessly lost in them. Could I distance myself a little from all these run-of-the-mill mysteries by switching the words around (The Wych Ferry Secrets…?) Would that help? Or not? Aargh!

The jury is out at the moment. No doubt other factors will come into play as I search for possible cover images, and fret about a title for the sequel (More Secrets of Wych Ferry…?) I might even stretch to a third book in the Wych Ferry series (Absolutely the Last Secrets of Wych Ferry…), so I need to consider that, too. I’ll let you know how I get along.

I’d be very interested to hear other writers’ thoughts on the tricky and obstacle-strewn subject of choosing titles.

Developing Ideas for a New Book

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books, Circe, classical, development, Picus, Stourhead, The Woodpecker, William Morris, writing

It’s a month or more, now, since my daughter suggested I write a book with the theme of trees. As with my other illustrated books, I imagined a story of around 12,000 words with twenty or thirty hand-drawn pictures. I’ve been mulling the idea around ever since without any sort of story idea coalescing. No hurry, I thought; these things fall into place in their own good time. And then, the other day, an image popped into my mind’s eye.

It was William Morris’ beautiful tapestry, The Woodpecker. Well, I thought, what better way to explore trees than through the image, or maybe the eye, of a woodpecker? It’s a great moment when something triggers an idea like that. I’ve never seen the tapestry ‘in the flesh’, but its photographic image is very familiar. It captures something about nature and myth, as does so much of Morris’ work, that intrigues me, and it’s certainly something I want to write about.

The tapestry isn’t just a picture, either, it’s an illustration of a classical story – the tale of King Picus who was turned into a woodpecker by the jealous sorceress, Circe. Plenty of food for thought there. And the quotation from the classical text that appears on the tapestry includes the phrase ‘Twixt Trunk and Leaf’. Now that would make an excellent book title…

More ideas began to fall into place. A classical tale? My daughter suggested this book to me among the great trees and classical-inspired temples and grottoes of Stourhead Gardens – what a magical setting such a place (or something like it) would make for a story! And what did I see there, among the natural ground flora, but that interesting little plant Enchanter’s Nightshade (also a good potential title…), whose botanical name, Circaea comes from, guess who, the sorceress Circe.

So, there you are, folks, the first beginnings of a fresh story coming into being. It’s only the loosest framework of atmosphere and possible content, but it will trigger further ideas and a tighter concept. I can hardly wait to get started. Oh, and I’ll be keeping the image of The Woodpecker tapestry handy for inspiration.