Editing the Hell Out of Your Voice

As a member of various writing critique groups I often get wonderful feedback on my stories and novels. Most often I'm asked to change the way a sentence sounds, or given examples of ways to shorten (or lengthen) my sentences. Choppy sentences? Add words. Cumbersome detail? Take away words. Like a madman with a pair of hedge clippers, I trim away at my work until all I see is a mass of twigs and a hunk of leaves. In other words...it's no longer the piece I'd been aiming for.

The truth is, it's possible to lose the story in zealous over-editing. So what is a writer needing feedback to do? Here's what I've learned along the way...

1) Know the critiquer's style of writing. If your critique buddy likes short, succinct sentences and your prefer run-ons and long trains of thought, you will probably not see eye-to-eye. As long as your style remains fluent throughout your piece and you are able to write it well (not clumsily), give your partner a nod, but don't start tossing every adverb and adjective you've spent hours to get just right. There's room in magazines and on bookshelves for all types of voices and styles. Don't change yours to suit a critique member, unless you agree with them whole-heartedly.

2) I've heard more about passive voice versus active voice, and get rid of all -ly adverbs no matter what than I have about pacing or characterization. Why? Because these are so much easier to focus on. Having someone point out where you've used telling instead of showing is important, don't get me wrong. I'm grateful everytime someone underlines these on my manuscripts, but taking these away at every turn can also change the voice and the flavor of the work. Sometimes an adverb is easier and helpful (as in very young children's books) and sometimes it's okay to write "She was interested in all thing ethereal." In other words, don't change these based on a critiquer's opinion alone. Think it over. Is there a better way to phrase it? Or will it change the way your work reads too much?

3) Sometimes critiquers don't like the genre you are writing for. Or you are writing at a different educational level than they prefer to read. They find themselves bored. They might even (horrors!) have ideas on how to rewrite your story to make it more interesting. Eventually, their suggestions begin to take on the tone of the last novel you critiqued for them. You may find yourself believing they might be right. After all, their ideas sound compelling. But ask yourself...is that the story you wanted to tell? Don't allow yourself to be carried away on the wave of someones else's creation. Swim to shore, back to solid ground where your story stands, the way you want it written.

Of course you want to take someone's critique under serious consideration. They are, after all, your audience. If they don't understand what you are trying to say or find your sentences awkward, their advice can be invaluable. But in the end, this is your story. You make the final decisions. As they say, too many critiquers can spoil the manuscript (okay, I made that up.) Whatever you do, don't clip those hedges until you know how high and wide you want them to be. Don't cut for the sake of cutting.