Editor Versus Writer

chillibreeze writer — Nitin Makasare

Have you ever been through the harrowing experience of missing out on an all-important appointment just because you didn’t know your way around the city? And the dumb nut who gave you directions made your journey even more frustrating! In the end, besides burning up your tyres and double the fuel, you had some burnt hair on your head too. Now, wouldn’t life have been much simpler if you had a road map for a guide?!?

Well, that’s exactly what a good editor does for a writer. He guides, gives direction, nudges him around when going astray, and also suggests a few shortcuts that might help him reach the destination faster. While he doesn’t doubt the fact that the writer’s the best driver in town with the latest Ferrari at his disposal, he knows for sure that without the right directions, the writer could simply end up tailing a cab.

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Writers are creative people, passionate about their work. They end up living in their own worlds, unmindful of anything beyond. They get exceeding joy when they come up with something new, but if you happen to feel otherwise about their work, it’s best to keep your views for another day! In his world, the Writer is king, with his own set of rules, but often times, when he emerges out of it, he fails to recognize the difference between the two worlds. This is where Mr. Editor steps in. He understands the sentiments of the writer and is well aware of all the hard work that has been put in by him; at the same time, he is in touch with the sensibilities of the reader. He knows that the reader is not concerned about what it took to write a book, nor does he have the time to sympathize with something he/she dislikes. At the end of the day, only if the reader likes a book will it sell, if he does not, it doesn’t.

While the writer is tucked away in his own world, the editor is very much around keeping abreast of current trends and developments. He knows exactly which part of the novel will work and which won’t and with a little gentle and sometimes tough persuasion convinces the writer about the same. In his absence, the writer could find himself in a tight spot, unable to mark out the critical aspects in his writing that could make or break his book.

Writing is also a mammoth and lonesome task. Month over months, a writer writes and rewrites, deletes pages, revisits his work umpteen times, edits and corrects it, and finally by the time it’s ready to be shared with the world, he is exhausted and his senses numb. Repetitive reading of the same material renders him incapable of assessing his own work. The editor, on the other hand, is under no such compulsion; exposure to various other works from other writers keeps his perspective fresh and intact enough to be able to correctly assess the writer’s work and give him valuable feedback.

Another fact about writers is that they like telling stories; every other aspect of writing adds additional pressure on them, diverting their minds and diluting their focus, which in turn ends up hindering their story-telling ability. A good editor relieves the writer of this intense pressure - primarily grammar, structure, plot and characters. A writer also comes across various other challenges during the course of his writing – directionless meandering of the story, multiple choices, character overlapping etc. An editor always works as a good sounding board and ends up giving invaluable suggestions that help clear the mental block that happens with so many writers. At times, even a small chat on the phone ends up adding a fresh perspective to a writer’s work, giving him leads that seemto have eluded him for quite a while.

Finally, every good writer knows that it takes more than just good writing to make a novel sell and the one person who should top his list of speed dials has to be the editor, unless of course, he wants to end up frustrated tailing a cab.

Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in August, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Nothing excites Nitin Makasare more than to write. With nearly a decade of versatile media experience with leading national and international players across various platforms ranging from TV, films, web & commercials, Nitin has an acute understanding of the craft. Creative writing remains his forte, but he enjoys being read on issues ranging from current affairs to spirituality. With his distinctive approach, he always ends up giving you that ‘something more’.

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