Ask the Author: Thomas Lin
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Thomas Lin
Writing is nothing if not aspirational. We aspire, among other things, to write better. There's no end to what we can imagine, learn, observe, explore, question, try and get hopelessly wrong, all while hoping for the next small success, the next sign of forward progress. That's the beauty of it. Thankfully there's no shortage of advice for writers. Countless essays and books have been devoted to the subject. From one aspiring writer to another, let me add, simply: Find a good editor. By "good," I mean an editor experienced in nurturing the type of writing you aim to do, who has edited the writers you admire most and who, in sharing your vision, will identify your blind spots and ask tough questions. Writing is hard enough to do well in the best of conditions and with an abundance of support. Don't make it harder by going it alone. After you've found such a willing editor (itself a nontrivial task; in most cases this will involve workshops, internships or successfully pitching a story), here comes the hard part: Listen to what she or he has to say about your precious work and be open to revisions big or small in service of your readers. The easiest thing is to try to defend your work against all perceived criticisms. Unfortunately that mindset is unlikely to foster growth.
I say this not as an editor but as a fellow aspiring writer who was lucky enough to work for some of the finest editors in the world. It can be a humbling process at first but it will do wonders for your aspirations.
I say this not as an editor but as a fellow aspiring writer who was lucky enough to work for some of the finest editors in the world. It can be a humbling process at first but it will do wonders for your aspirations.
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