Castle Walls Editing

Month: March 2018

  • Four on the Floor with Stephen Kozeniewski

    Four on the Floor with Stephen Kozeniewski

    Stephen Kozeniewski’s novel The Hematophages was named by horror legend Brian Keene as the number one book of 2017, so I was thrilled to have Stephen take part in one of our Four on the Floor interviews. Enjoy!

    Bio: Stephen Kozeniewski lives in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the modern zombie. During his time as a field artillery officer, he served for three years in Oklahoma and one in Iraq, where due to what he assumes was a clerical error, he was awarded the Bronze Star. He is also a classically trained linguist, which sounds more impressive than saying his bachelor’s degree is in German.

    James Gallagher: Who are your writing heroes, and has mentoring played a role in your development as an author?

    SK: Well, barring your Douglas Adamses and your Dostoevskys, Tolkiens, and Vonneguts, my greatest writing hero is Brian Keene. The others being dead, I felt it incumbent upon me to tell him at a signing once. I guess he liked the cut of my jib or something, because I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.

    His mentorship has opened many doors for me, as he’s introduced me to editors and publishers, and given me opportunities to work with people and on projects I never would have broken into alone.

    Networking is absolutely vital in this business, and at the end of the day it’s never really stopped being an apprenticeship industry. Other authors have helped me get to where I am, and I always try to pass along what I can to aspiring authors as well.

    JG: What do you find particularly exciting about the horror genre, and what do you most hope readers take away from your writing?

    SK: After decades of being the rented mule of the redheaded stepchild of literature, it definitely seems like horror is finally having its day in the sun. It was the highest grossing horror film of all time last year—a genuine horror blockbuster.

    Meanwhile, films like Get Out and The Shape of Water are getting critical respect and taking home awards. The Walking Dead is still a major television phenomenon, and shows like Black Mirror and Stranger Things are blowing up Netflix. I think it’s a terribly exciting time for the horror genre and I’m just pleased to be a part of it.

    I hope my readers enjoy themselves. I hate to be pat about it, but that’s the long and short of writing for publication. If you’re not writing with the hopes of bringing your audience some pleasure—whether it be intellectual, vicarious fright, or even just titillation—then there’s no point publishing. Just keep it on your computer.

    JG: In what ways has editing (both editing your own work and having it edited by others) sharpened your writing or contributed to the evolution of your writing process?

    SK: Not in the slightest. No, I’m just kidding. Before my first professional edit I didn’t know what I didn’t know, if that makes sense. Now I feel fairly confident when doing self-edits that I can identify the major flaws in the piece as well as some of my personal tics. It’s really something you can only learn by doing, I think.

    JG: Speaking of your process, do you more often outline your stories or do you start with a more general image or idea and then just let it rip?

    SK: Primarily the latter. I’ve tried numerous methods, such as writing extemporaneously (Braineater Jones, Billy and the Cloneasaurus), plotting heavily (The Ghoul Archipelago), and outlining on a whiteboard (Every Kingdom Divided). But when it comes to the debate between pantsing and plotting, I remain firmly agnostic. I just do whatever feels best for the project.

    ***

    Check out Stephen’s blog or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

  • Getting to the Why of Editing

    Getting to the Why of Editing

    In his wildly popular TED Talk video How Great Leaders Inspire Action, author Simon Sinek maintains that most businesses know what they do, and that some businesses even understand how they do it, but that few businesses truly understand why they do it.

    Why does your organization exist? he asks. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why should anyone care?

    I spent almost 15 years working an in-house gig as an editor at Recorded Books (a company that will always have a special place in my heart). But nearly six months ago, I left behind regular paychecks and benefits to begin an adventure running my own editing business.

    I’m a copy editor.

    I love copyediting.

    But that’s what I do.

    I’m learning all the time and refining my processes (something I hope and expect will always be the case). But even so, I can give you a good breakdown of how I do what I do.

    But why do I do it?

    Sinek makes a compelling case for answering this question, and I’m sold on the importance of doing so.

    I should answer it for myself, certainly.

    But perhaps more importantly, I should answer it for my clients and for my potential clients. In truth, they shouldn’t just ask the question. They should demand an answer.

    So here goes.

    Anyone who’s chosen the freelance route can rattle off the usual reasons for going it on your own:

    • Being your own boss
    • Setting your own schedule
    • Pursuing the kind of work you want
    • Avoiding office politics

    These are all compelling, but they don’t actually strike at the why of what I do.

    So how do I get to why?

    My Castle Walls Editing home page features rotating images with these slogans:

    • Serving the Author
    • Serving the Audience
    • Serving the Work

    Each represents a different aspect of my why.

    Serving the Author

    In The Subversive Copy Editor (a must-read for any editor), Carol Fisher Saller expresses her philosophy that editors and authors are not adversaries vying for control of the text. They are instead partners working in service to the reader.

    As an editor, I want to help the author. Helping is important to me, and on a basic level it makes me feel good. I have a strong need to please, and editing lets me do this in a direct way.

    Serving the Audience

    I’m a reader as well as an editor, and reading has always been a place of shelter and warmth (Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, and all the other writers I admire have gotten me through a lot of tough times, and reading to my children was one of the great pleasures of my life).

    In a blog post, Baltimore Sun editor John McIntyre wrote, “And to be an editor, you must first be an avid reader. You have to hear all the voices to know which one is appropriate for your writer, your subject, your publication, your reader.”

    So reading is important for both personal and professional reasons. And as an editor, I’m able to help deliver text to readers everywhere—and this is a mission I can believe in, heart and soul.

    Serving the Work

    As a child, one of the chief ways I pleased my mother was by tidying up my room. I’ve carried this desire for neatness—and the psychological rewards of tidying up—into my profession. My mother died when I was not yet out of my teens, but I think she would be proud of the work I do.

    Certain kinds of editing appeal to me more than others, but at the heart of all jobs is that sense of straightening up. Addressing a reference list, for example, can be tedious work, but seeing a final product that appears just the way it should, down to the smallest detail, is extremely satisfying.

    My Why

    So why do I edit? It comes down to three things:

    1. I enjoy helping people.
    2. I enjoy being part of the book-making process.
    3. I enjoy cleaning up text.

    Those are simple reasons, but they feel honest and they work for me. I hope they work for you too.