Meet My Editor
I'm excited to share that my second book, Nicala: Cursed Blood, is officially halfway done! Hitting the midpoint of a manuscript is always a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
This time around, I decided to bring an editor into the process earlier. With my first book, I waited until the end, but for Cursed Blood, I knew I wanted someone who could help shape the narrative as it grows.
Luckily, the search didn’t take long. I discovered the Editorial Freelancers Association, a fantastic resource for connecting with professional editors. I posted a job and received over 60 responses! It was overwhelming, to say the least. But amid the crowd, one editor stood out.
He brought a fresh perspective to my writing. He challenged my approach without tearing it down. He opened my mind to a different style of storytelling and that has already made a meaningful difference.
But enough from me. I’d like to introduce that editor—Chris—and let him share a few words about himself.
“Writing and Skiing are two passions of mine, and I found that improving in both had a lot of similarities. It starts easy and fun, but quickly grows more difficult.”
“As I grew into an expert skier, I found that coasting along a green circle started to lose its thrill...but blue squares were still difficult. Then I conquered blue squares...but the un-groomed and steep black diamonds were intimidating. By the time I mastered the black diamonds, I truly understood the nuances of the sport. If only someone taught me those nuances when I was still on green circles, I would have improved much faster.”
“As I grew as a writer, I felt the same way. I had a lot of fun learning the basics, but the next levels seemed beyond reach. Most of the blogs, books and advice out there were for beginning writers. Most of the advice was ephemeral and vague. It’s good information…but how do I apply that information?”
“So I started writing a blog in an attempt to concretize the abstract as I learned it. I learned more about the craft of writing, enhanced my skills and published my work, and eventually earned my Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing. My blog mused about how I ventured from figurative green circles, through blue squares, and how I sought out and mastered the black diamonds. Then, I realized I could do more -- I could help other writers by easing the process of learning abstract and complicated concepts. I could bring them through those blue squares and on to the black diamonds. And Blue Square Writers Studio was born.”
“Sure, writers talk about "voice" and "style" and all those other buzzwords our writers groups toss out. But I knew I could teach what voice or characterization or point of view looks like at the sentence level. I knew I could transform these abstract ideas into concrete knowledge and make it easier for new writers to learn.”
“To accomplish this, Blue Square works directly with writers directly on their writing. I'm not a publisher nor an agent, and I'm not a proofreader here only to fix your commas.”
“Blue Square genuinely helps you become a better writer. So much goes into writing and it's a difficult process. Blue Square Writers Studio makes it easier exactly because I’ve been through it before.”
If you’d like to contact Chris or learn more about his editorial work, you can visit his website at www.bluesquarewriters.com