Wholesome Rage: Pearple Prose on Editing Gud

It's really good and you should read it

Comments

[Georg]

What do we do if we find typos? (ducks for cover)

[Southpaw]

4796274 In this case typos would be a choice, not a mistake, and must be considered creative spelling and grammar.

[Conscat]

4796294
Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace does that sort of thing all throughout its length, and it is hilarious.

[Murcushio]

I have been doing pre-reading and editing for over twenty years, from the halcyon days of Ranma 1/2 fanfiction (back when you could, by dint of effort, read every single piece of fanfiction for all anime if you put in a couple weeks of work) to now, in the field of small horse stories.

I endorse literally everything the esteemed Mr. Pearce said in the linked blog post. I also love that he still uses the once-ubiquitous but now fading from the lexicon term "pre-reader." That's been largely, but not entirely, supplanted by "beta reader," which I hate for reasons more aesthetic than practical. I will die on that philological hill.

I'd like to add something, if I may, in the context of this:

It’s things like this that might make you want to avoid commenting anything at all, because perhaps the author will argue with you about it. But that’s not your problem – part of being an author is learning how to “kill your darlings”, as Stephen King once apparently quoted William Faulkner. Don’t be a dick about it, though, because bedside manner is important. Let them down gently. If you can argue your point well enough, they’ll understand in their little writer hearts.

Sometimes, you gotta know when to walk away.

Unless you're editing professionally, that is, your skills and opinion are being exchanged for a paycheck, then in my opinion it's very hard, next to impossible, to pre-read for a story you think is shit. I don't mean "is currently shit." I mean "this story cannot, ever, be good. This writer is bad and cannot be made better. This turd cannot be polished."

You might or might not be right about any of those judgments, but if you pre-read extensively, this is going to happen to you. And you're going to struggle, because a good pre-reader can help a writer turn coal into diamonds, but they're never gonna make that sow's ear into a silk purse. You have to believe that a good finished product is possible. This mental buy-in on your part is 100% essential or you're simply going to do a poor job no matter how much of your advice the writer takes.

A warning sign for this: if you find yourself struggling to say anything good. "Bedside manner" is referenced above, and that's super super important. You should be telling a writer, often and fulsomely, "This section works. This metaphor was excellent. This verbal exchange feels breathtakingly, vibrantly real. These are the parts where you're knocking it out of the park; more of this, please."

If you find yourself with a giant stack of "change this" "cut this" "move this" "dear god, no" without any "leave this, it's a gem, it's amazing, if you try and so much as move a comma you will only mar the sublime perfection" on the other side of the ledger, you're in dangerous country.

[Pearple Prose]

4797146

I agree with pretty much everything stated in this delightful comment.

Re: "knowing when to walk away", this is pretty much why I don't edit for random fimfic users so much anymore. The last time I looked over someone's work who I didn't know very well, I ended up having to tell them that there was nothing much I could do, because the work had far, far deeper problems than I could improve on my own. It happens, and it feels shitty, but assuming you're working with generally cool people, they'll understand, in my experience.

Re: your second point, I am mentally kicking myself for not making a note about leaving positive comments – it's really super appreciated by any writer if you take the time to note the killer lines, the excellent punchlines, the quality opening scenes. Those are the writer's darlings. And if it's agreed that something needs to be rewritten. knowing what to keep is very important.

Thank you so much for commenting, it's made my night.

[Lightwavers]

Do you have any links to more complete explanations/examples of rhythm in writing? I'd like to read more on this subject.