Comments on: The Love/Hate Thang About Edits

By: Ames

Ames — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:09:58 +0000

>>So, instead of just one religion I insulted all of them.

^5’s

By: Melissa Blue

Melissa Blue — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:24:44 +0000

My thoughts exactly. I’m strange. I have a vision of people burning my books ’cause they are so offensive. *Think of the sales.*

By: Raine

Raine — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:15:34 +0000

My editor told me I might offend some people so I should change it. So, instead of just one religion I insulted all of them.

By: Raine

Raine — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:11:37 +0000

That my characters arenâ€™t always 100% certified Caucasian or heterosexual have caused more than a few battles.

And here I thought it was the twenty-first century…

By: Raine

Raine — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:07:18 +0000

I believe the editors calling it head-hopping do so by rote rather than reader confusion.

That’s another whole discussion, Bernard.
To most editors it seems to be a big no-no, and no ambivalence about it. But I don’t see a problem if it’s done well and without confusing the reader.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:56:13 +0000

That my characters arenâ€™t always 100% certified Caucasian or heterosexual have caused more than a few battles.

That was detail enough, Lynn. I can imagine where it went from there. If a plot device doesn’t work, that’s all well and good, but when they try to gut the souls of your characters …. that’s just wrong.

By: Melissa Blue

Melissa Blue — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:45:42 +0000

I’ve had the same thing happen with the thought police. I had a line in See Megan Run that said something like “Her mother had to be catholic(sp?) because she could teach classes in guilt.”

My editor told me I might offend some people so I should change it. So, instead of just one religion I insulted all of them.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:25:06 +0000

Iâ€™m dying to ask you to give an example, but I know you probably canâ€™t.

Without naming names or imprints, hmmm. That my characters aren’t always 100% certified Caucasian or heterosexual have caused more than a few battles.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:30:24 +0000

The hardest revision requests to cope with are those made merely the sake of the political correctness. Iâ€™m not interested in catering to the Thought Police.

I’m dying to ask you to give an example, but I know you probably can’t. lol Yeah, I’m nosy. BTW, I hate thought police too.

By: BernardL

BernardL — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:38:06 +0000

POV – We can’t even give two views in the same scene without knowing it will end up in a battle with the editor. I believe the editors calling it head-hopping do so by rote rather than reader confusion. Remember the old movie ‘John and Mary’ with Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow where their opposing thoughts are voiced during a scene. I thought that was so cool… but it was major head-hopping.