Editor & Author Conversation: Plotting, Ideas, Best Twists (Fingersmith, Gone Girl), Social Media
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- A chat with my brilliant editor Jo Dickinson (Executive Publisher at Hodder & Stoughton).
I haven’t seen many author-editor conversations on UA-cam so hopefully this will be interesting for other writers and readers.
We discuss ideas, process, atmosphere, plotting (with a spreadsheet!), the importance of copyeditors and proofreaders, rewriting, fallow periods, momentum, the next book, writing schedules, unexpected twists, character voice, instant reader reactions, theme, social media, the best twists in fiction (we mention Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, Gone Girl by Gillian Glynn, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk).
We may do another chat like this later in the year. What subjects would you like us to discuss? More about publishing and what editors are looking for? More about the writing and editing process? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Thanks for watching.
I've been appreciating your videos for the past year or so, thanks for your efforts in putting them together for us! I'd love to hear your thoughts about beta readers sometime - people in publishing always say that un-agented authors should be sending their manuscripts out to tons of beta readers as a way of developing their stories, but I've never really seen the value in that. You said in the video how valuable it is to have other people reading it and giving edits, and I absolutely agree for an agent/editor/spouse reading it (ie: someone in the industry who has insight into creating sell-able stories, or someone who knows you). But getting a bunch of beta reader opinions is really just getting opinions, and while, yes, they are ultimately your reader-base, that doesn't mean it's terribly useful in the writing/submission process. Which isn't to dismiss readers, it's just that everyone has their own opinions and that's not really comparable to someone reading it who has publishing and story-development knowledge. Do you have any advice for those of us who are un-agented in getting that sounding board in a way that is actually helpful? Should one hire an independent editor? Or maybe you disagree and feel beta-readers are a good option?
Do you have any topics you’d like covered in future videos? Insights into the publishing process? A conversation with my agent about querying? Let me know in the comments.
This was so interesting! Would definitely love another one with your agent.
Thank you for watching! I’ll talk to her later this summer…
Definitely interested in hearing your thoughts on the comment above re beta readers.
Maybe how many drafts do you have to do and like how much does a first draft differ to the final product, although you kinda of covered this
Like an exorcism - love that haha!