What do you wish someone would’ve told you about writing or publishing?
I was at the NY RWA conference when Amazon was refused space and had to do its presentation in a coffee shop in the basement. I wish someone would have told me to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, they "did" but I wasn't listening. What is the biggest lesson that you learned about writing or publishing?
Sometime later, I got a job as an acquisitions editor for a small press. Until that point I'd been head down, studying, devouring books, workshops and lectures, talking to anyone who could possibly help me get better and more importantly, get published. Then I opened my first query letter and my head exploded. The biggest thing I've learned about writing is like the late, great editor, Hilary Sares of Kensington once said, "writing by committee makes everything sound homogenous.
What piece of information do you want to pass on to authors?
Know how things work, then trust yourself. Alpha and beta readers, editors and critique circles are only as good as their skill sets, and can sometimes have internal prejudice, or a strong preference for the way they think things should be. At a certain point, you need to be true to yourself even if how or what you're writing isn't on trend or doesn't fit current best practices. Every query letter I read when I was working for that small press--and I literally read hundreds of them--started with a question. That's like every contemporary romance featuring a secret baby, or every space marine going on a "bug hunt'. Yes, readers want secret babies and bug hunts, but not all of them.
Why do you like teaching authors?
Craft of writing is my passion. It's what I like, it's what I do, and it's why I got into editing. I'm an INTJ. I dissect and work with systems for fun. I teach to learn and understand, and I've been teaching for a long time. I love the mechanics behind it all and it makes me happy when I can share how things work and see people use it as a part of their own systems.
What’s your core philosophy when it comes to teaching writing?
I can tell you. And most of the time I'll try to show you. But no teaching method is universal. Sometimes there is a disconnect, either in the way I'm teaching because it doesn't sync with you. Or I'm assuming knowledge you don't have, or something just doesn't click. But I never, ever want to be that person who puts up a workshop and drops by to say "Great job!" I want to know you know. I want to see you understand. And I want you to see how well the tools work based on "your" input. If that means I need to write a ten page answer or put each tool through its paces so you understand the mechanics, I have no problems with it. From the minute I presented my first workshop back in '09, I promised myself that I would never give a low effort answer, because I took workshops, and I remember what it's like to be on the receiving end.
What do you believe is the most important thing a writing student should walk away with?
Whatever they came for. That's why I always ask. And if they answer, I try to make sure they get it. Workshops are a two way street. The more you interact, the more you get.
How do you approach giving constructive feedback without discouraging a student?
I work with a lot of complex concepts, and I "know" they're complex. I also know understanding something and applying it are totally different. That's why I appreciate even a half-hearted attempt, because it lets me see where the disconnect is, and it gives me some of their work to create an example. People work better when they understand WIFM, or what's in it for me, and how to get from point A to point B, not with generic examples, but with their own work. I never say something is wrong or bad or isn't meeting expectations. I show how they can use the tool and whatever they've done up to that point to get to the next step or the end. Sometimes it's a conversation (or a long conversation) and that's okay too.
How has your own writing influenced the way you teach?
I like to think it's more the workshops I took that influenced how I teach. I remember getting a one word answer in the first workshop I ever paid for, and I remember getting no response in many others. Yes, I'm a talker. I tend to ramble and tell really long stories to explain my points, but I'm trying to model the behaviors I wish I could have seen from my instructors when I first started out. I am a character-driven writer, so I tend to look at writing through the lens of character, conflict and structure rather than plot, but I try to be self aware and keep myself out of what's in a student's best interests or preferred writing styles.
Is there a common writing “rule” that you think is okay to break—and why?
I think there are a lot of common writing "rules" that are okay to break. Nothing I teach is a rule, because I don't believe in rules. I believe in tools, and if one doesn't work for you, I believe you should use a different one. Rules put constraints on writing, whereas tools help you to accomplish a task. I do think you need to follow the rules of grammar, for the most part. But in general, it's like vampires. You know how back in the day it was all Bram Stoker, and everyone "knew" vampires meant Dracula and evil blood-sucking monsters who came in through the window unless you had garlic or a crucifix? Then Christine Feehan came along and said, "No. Vampires are brooding, incredibly hot Carpathians trying to find their mates and have children so they can save their species from extinction. And it was like that for a very long time, until Kenyon came along and said, "Vampires are ancient warriors who live in New Orleans and were cursed by the goddess Arttemis. They aren't trying to have children, but they are fighting an eternal war against the Daimons." Then still later, J R Ward came along and said, "No! Vampires dress in black leather, drive Escalades and listen to rap." Rules are only rules until they're not. Pick the ones that work for you and ignore the rest.
Bio
Jodi has been an editor since 2009 and a developmental editor since 2011. After editing more than three hundred stories, She's put theory into practice for almost two decades.
I was at the NY RWA conference when Amazon was refused space and had to do its presentation in a coffee shop in the basement. I wish someone would have told me to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, they "did" but I wasn't listening. What is the biggest lesson that you learned about writing or publishing?
Sometime later, I got a job as an acquisitions editor for a small press. Until that point I'd been head down, studying, devouring books, workshops and lectures, talking to anyone who could possibly help me get better and more importantly, get published. Then I opened my first query letter and my head exploded. The biggest thing I've learned about writing is like the late, great editor, Hilary Sares of Kensington once said, "writing by committee makes everything sound homogenous.
What piece of information do you want to pass on to authors?
Know how things work, then trust yourself. Alpha and beta readers, editors and critique circles are only as good as their skill sets, and can sometimes have internal prejudice, or a strong preference for the way they think things should be. At a certain point, you need to be true to yourself even if how or what you're writing isn't on trend or doesn't fit current best practices. Every query letter I read when I was working for that small press--and I literally read hundreds of them--started with a question. That's like every contemporary romance featuring a secret baby, or every space marine going on a "bug hunt'. Yes, readers want secret babies and bug hunts, but not all of them.
Why do you like teaching authors?
Craft of writing is my passion. It's what I like, it's what I do, and it's why I got into editing. I'm an INTJ. I dissect and work with systems for fun. I teach to learn and understand, and I've been teaching for a long time. I love the mechanics behind it all and it makes me happy when I can share how things work and see people use it as a part of their own systems.
What’s your core philosophy when it comes to teaching writing?
I can tell you. And most of the time I'll try to show you. But no teaching method is universal. Sometimes there is a disconnect, either in the way I'm teaching because it doesn't sync with you. Or I'm assuming knowledge you don't have, or something just doesn't click. But I never, ever want to be that person who puts up a workshop and drops by to say "Great job!" I want to know you know. I want to see you understand. And I want you to see how well the tools work based on "your" input. If that means I need to write a ten page answer or put each tool through its paces so you understand the mechanics, I have no problems with it. From the minute I presented my first workshop back in '09, I promised myself that I would never give a low effort answer, because I took workshops, and I remember what it's like to be on the receiving end.
What do you believe is the most important thing a writing student should walk away with?
Whatever they came for. That's why I always ask. And if they answer, I try to make sure they get it. Workshops are a two way street. The more you interact, the more you get.
How do you approach giving constructive feedback without discouraging a student?
I work with a lot of complex concepts, and I "know" they're complex. I also know understanding something and applying it are totally different. That's why I appreciate even a half-hearted attempt, because it lets me see where the disconnect is, and it gives me some of their work to create an example. People work better when they understand WIFM, or what's in it for me, and how to get from point A to point B, not with generic examples, but with their own work. I never say something is wrong or bad or isn't meeting expectations. I show how they can use the tool and whatever they've done up to that point to get to the next step or the end. Sometimes it's a conversation (or a long conversation) and that's okay too.
How has your own writing influenced the way you teach?
I like to think it's more the workshops I took that influenced how I teach. I remember getting a one word answer in the first workshop I ever paid for, and I remember getting no response in many others. Yes, I'm a talker. I tend to ramble and tell really long stories to explain my points, but I'm trying to model the behaviors I wish I could have seen from my instructors when I first started out. I am a character-driven writer, so I tend to look at writing through the lens of character, conflict and structure rather than plot, but I try to be self aware and keep myself out of what's in a student's best interests or preferred writing styles.
Is there a common writing “rule” that you think is okay to break—and why?
I think there are a lot of common writing "rules" that are okay to break. Nothing I teach is a rule, because I don't believe in rules. I believe in tools, and if one doesn't work for you, I believe you should use a different one. Rules put constraints on writing, whereas tools help you to accomplish a task. I do think you need to follow the rules of grammar, for the most part. But in general, it's like vampires. You know how back in the day it was all Bram Stoker, and everyone "knew" vampires meant Dracula and evil blood-sucking monsters who came in through the window unless you had garlic or a crucifix? Then Christine Feehan came along and said, "No. Vampires are brooding, incredibly hot Carpathians trying to find their mates and have children so they can save their species from extinction. And it was like that for a very long time, until Kenyon came along and said, "Vampires are ancient warriors who live in New Orleans and were cursed by the goddess Arttemis. They aren't trying to have children, but they are fighting an eternal war against the Daimons." Then still later, J R Ward came along and said, "No! Vampires dress in black leather, drive Escalades and listen to rap." Rules are only rules until they're not. Pick the ones that work for you and ignore the rest.
Bio
Jodi has been an editor since 2009 and a developmental editor since 2011. After editing more than three hundred stories, She's put theory into practice for almost two decades.
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