Ode to Linda: Editor-and-Sidekick-in-Chief
“Editor” may conjure images of a harsh professor notorious for their red pen, a grammar troll on social media, a New York professional flipping through piles of manuscript.
My editor, Linda Knight, meets none of those descriptors. Linda serves as a faithful sidekick as I think, write, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, question the meaning of life, and rewrite. We frequent the public library in the small town of Galena, Missouri where she shares valuable insights on grammar, punctuation, plot, and characters. She rarely misses a comma, let alone a gap in the story.
Linda’s editorial expertise evolved from her impressive education, long career, and passion for storytelling. After graduating from College of the Ozarks, she taught English and Creative Writing for 13 years then worked as a public school librarian in southwest Missouri for 17.
“I started editing when I started teaching. I brought home a pile of papers each night, used a lot of red ink, and hoped that my suggestions made sense. With each draft of papers, the students made improvements. Then, the day would come when a student would need me less and less.”
Linda took her talents outside the classroom when she first edited a book written by a local preacher who wanted to share his story. During this process, she recognized the necessary and satisfying collaboration between author and editor. “The best part of editing is the lightbulb moment when a correction or suggestion is accepted, and the connection between author and editor has been accomplished. The worst part though, is when the author has poured their heart into a piece, and I have to say, “this doesn’t really work here.”’
Linda finds line editing simple…commas, adverbs, grammar usage. Content editing, however, is much harder because, “You are really telling the author that parts of the book aren't right, and rewrites must occur.”
These back-and-forth, hard conversations influenced my friendship with Linda. She contributes significantly to any success I have a writer and is the force needed to focus on every aspect of the story. We meet after she edits three - four chapters to discuss her corrections and suggestions. One or two key sentences in a paragraph can make it hard for a reader to follow if left unedited, so I welcome her criticism, even lean on it.
As we finalize the last book in the Redemption trilogy, Linda continues to push my aspirations and imagination. Her frequent questions of “what if…” or “could this happen?” contribute to both the tales of Mike Parsons and my personal narrative as a writer.
What’s next in my story? A conversation with my editor.
If you want to contact Linda with questions or use her for your own works, you can email her at l.knight89@yahoo.com.