Editing – From Nightmare to Dream Team

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Somehow, not sure how it happened, I ended up writing a book. I thought the hardest part was over when I finished the final chapter and the epilogue, but I was wrong. Along came the editing process—a special kind of nightmare and so much tougher than I thought it would be.

I fell into the editing trap and corrected myself numerous times, rewriting the same paragraphs just to delete them the next day. I was hopelessly stuck.

When I looked into hiring a professional editor, I quickly learned that it cost money—more than I was willing to spend. Sadly, like most people, I have the tendency to overlook my own typos, and of course, I don’t notice my mistakes in punctuation or grammar either, because if I did, I wouldn’t have made them in the first place.

I needed help!

Artificial Intelligence? That wasn’t an acceptable option. It’s too often a soulless, stiff lineup of words. Robotlike perfection was not what I was aiming for. Software programs? They work but don’t catch everything. The English language is not meant to be written and corrected by robots or programs. One word can have so many different meanings. Some things cannot be taught but have to be felt. Logic by intuition. 🙂

But I also don’t want to end up publishing a book that people can not get into, because they are so busy counting my mistakes that their focus is taken away from the actual reading. I didn’t know what to do.

And then the universe stepped in.

I just recently finished restoring an antique rocking chair. A project that had looked so small at first, but had turned out to be quite a challenge. The seat needed to be held by something that wasn’t there. There was nothing underneath, no frame, no platform, just jute webbing. Of course, where there is a will, there comes improvisation. That’s the part I love most about my job. I can go wild. I found a way to make a comfortable polstered seat out of nothing.

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My customer was happy, and so was I. Somehow, we started talking and I opened up a bit, which is—as we know—against my nature. I learned that she has an MA in English language and literature, and I made a joke, asking if she would be available for hire.

She had recently overcome some serious health issues and wasn’t interested in editing, but changed her mind a couple of days later. “Send me the manuscript,” she said, and so I did.

She agreed to do the editing for my book, but we hadn’t discussed her price yet. I just knew I couldn’t afford her, and she surprised me.

“Why don’t we barter?”

You give my sunroom furniture a new look, and I edit your book.

DEAL!

It’s just the cushions, two rocking chairs, one recliner, one sofa, so no big deal; the fabric will cost me between $300 and $400, but the rest is labor—my labor. Perhaps a week, probably less.

She edited my first chapter, sent it back to me, and it was beautiful. I sounded very articulate. My manuscript had been lifted up a notch or two, had now a wonderful writing style, but it wasn’t me anymore.

We sat down and talked, and I was wondering how I could describe what I felt. I loved what she had written, but …

“Please, don’t take my voice away!” I said, and my plea was followed by silence.

“You want me to take it down a notch or two,” she laughed, and I nodded.

“Yes, please, let me be me. This is our story and my voice.”

We ran into a few computer glitches; turns out it’s not that simple to edit the same document on two different computers, but we figured it out and fell into a routine.

She edits a chapter in the morning, and I go through the changes in the afternoon. I can accept, deny, ask questions, comment, and answer her comments.

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So much red. Just like in school. It’s hard work! To be honest, it’s worth it. I learn a lot just from her suggestions and her corrections. She praises too. A little gold star on my forehead, which is much appreciated.

My goodness, the final touches are hard. Lesson learned!

Did I interrupt her magic when I insisted on keeping my voice? Perhaps, but I feel it was the right thing to do. I am not aiming for a literary masterpiece, but for my book—our story, in print.

I think I did the right thing. I am having fun, which is a nice bonus.

Anyway, thank you, universe!