I know a lot of writers. I know or know of a good number of editors. I know some people who do both – write and edit. But most of the writer/editors I know were writers first, then editors.
I’m the opposite. I started as an editor, then moved into writing.
Last weekend, I attended a meeting of my local writing group where I happened to mention I used to edit but don’t know I’ve returned to full-time work. While we were chatting over tea and cake, I was asked a question I hadn’t considered before:
How did I find my editing experience impact or influence my own writing?
I’ve been a keen reader ever since I learned to read. The more I read, the more I subconsciously picked up what good writing looked like (and sometimes the opposite). When I started editing and learning more about the craft of editing, I discovered there was a language to describe what I’d been noticing in the books I read.
Learning the craft of editing taught me a lot about the craft of writing.
Writing and editing aren’t the same thing (obviously). However, a good developmental editor needs to have an understanding of writing concepts such as plot, structure, character arcs, and point of view. A copyeditor needs to understand dialogue, grammar and punctuation. It helps to have a good vocabulary for those inevitable situations where the author has used the almost-right word and you have to explain the difference between discrete and discreet, and which is correct in context.
I started by reading books about editing, including the classic Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King (RIP to Renni Browne, who recently died). I then moved on to books about writing (including most of James Scott Bell’s books), publishing, and marketing. I learned everything I could so I could give my editorial clients the best possible advice and edit their manuscripts to the highest possible standard.
This learning gave me a huge head start when I started writing. In fact, my first completed manuscript won an ACFW Genesis Award in the novella category.
But knowing so much about editing has a downside: just as I have high standards with my editing, I also have high standards for my own writing. Sometimes my standards are impossibly high, and it can be frustrating to feel my own writing falls short of the standards I set myself.
Writing, like any other hobby or occupation, takes practice to do well … and that means writing as well as learning about writing.
I appreciate that not everyone has the time or interest in editing for others as a way of learning writing craft. However, I can recommend three other ways to learn writing craft:
Read lots of books.
Read books in your genre (they help you learn the popular tropes or theme readers enjoy).
Read books in other genres. Read books you enjoy (and try and figure out why you enjoy them. If you really enjoy a book, write a review and post it on Amazon or BookBub or Goodreads or the website of your choice). Read books you don’t enjoy (because you can still learn from bad books).
(Just try not to read so many books that you don’t leave time for writing.)
Read craft books.
Read books on plot, structure, point of view, characterisation, and anything else that takes your fancy. But treat the advice like cookies: just as you don’t have to eat all the cookies, you don’t have to use all the writing advice. Use what fits your style and discard whatever doesn’t work for you.
(But try not to get so caught up in craft books that you get stuck with your own writing.)
Judge writing contests.
Judging a writing contest is a great way to learn what agents and editors are looking for (from the judging sheet) and for learning how to give good feedback.
(Just remember to apply those lessons to your own entries … because you are going to enter a few contests to get unbiased feedback on your writing, right?)