NovelSisters

watching, reading, and writing stories

Aug 23

Lessons from Haiti: United in Worship

by lydiamhill

Hopefully you’ve been reading my recent posts about Haiti, but just in case you’re new, I’ve been writing a blog post for each day of my recent trip to Haiti. I am now on Day 3!

Day 3: United in Worship

Haiti Church

So, I was finally in Haiti, and I awoke Sunday morning excited to see God at work. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes and guava juice, our group gathered to go down to the village. We were going to our first Haitian church service!

Now I was excited about this. I’ve been to a lot of different churches, and each one is different. Even the ones in America can vary drastically from each other. I’ve been to Lutheran and Nondenominational, mega churches, and small cowboy churches. I’ve even been to churches in other countries like Mexico and Germany. I’ve heard sermons and songs in English and Spanish, German, and Latin. But I’d never been to a church service in this little Haitian village.

I went into this knowing that Haiti is different. This wasn’t going to be some grand cathedral or well manicured building. It would probably be pretty small and basic. And indeed, when we had walked the five minutes to the church we found a small wooden building with no AC, and a lighting/sound system that was supported by a finicky generator. Services didn’t start exactly on time, or have a specific ending point. But it was still a church, still a gathering of Christ-followers, and still a place of worship.

We stepped inside and quietly found some seats on wooden benches. Now I don’t speak Creole and even the few words or phrases I had learned before the trip weren’t very helpful, but immediately I started to engage with the service. God provided a visiting pastor that also spoke English to communicate the basics of what was happening in the service. I was able to follow along in Philippians as the pastor taught, and even though I couldn’t tell what he was saying specifically, I knew it was true.

Then the church began to sing, and it was amazing. I knew it was worship; beautiful worship that pleased God. I was amazed at how beautiful and loud the worship was, without all the fancy equipment we use in America. I didn’t know the words, though sometimes I recognized the tune, but I was able to join in with their worship. I longed to sing with them, even though there was no projector or hymn book to lead me. Eventually I even tried to sing along by following the girl who was leading the songs. She would sometimes sing the next word or phrase and I tried to mimic the sound with the congregation.

But whether I sang or not, I was still worshiping God in my heart. I was so in awe of God and how His love reaches to every corner of the globe. I think I got a glimpse of what heaven will be like; there are no barriers, no walls of prejudice or pride, and people from every tongue and nation will just worship Jesus together.

And I happen to have a video of some of the songs that were sung. So feel free to watch, and join in worshiping God too.

So what did I learn from all this? Well I learned that there is a unity in God’s church that cannot be broken. No matter if we are white or dark skinned, speak Creole, Spanish, or English, rich or poor, we all belong to God and the greatest thing we can do is worship Him. As I took part in the communion, I remembered that people all around the world were doing the same thing; remembering what Jesus Christ has done for us. He really is the one who unifies us.

Haiti Stories

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Aug 20

Lessons from Haiti: The Hidden Joy in Waiting

by lydiamhill

In case this is new for you, I am currently posting a series of blogs that detail my recent trip to Haiti and the lessons I learned from going there.

Haiti bus

Day 2: The Hidden Joy in Waiting

Building on the lesson I learned from traveling on the previous day, I awoke Saturday morning prepared to meet every obstacle with prayer. I was also bubbling with excitement that today we would finally make it to our destination. We arrived at the Florida airport without a problem, then found our way to an empty check-in station. We discovered that we couldn’t check in till the plane from Haiti landed, since the people who were on the plane, were the same ones who would check us in. This began one time of waiting, which would be repeated throughout the day, and in actuality, throughout the trip.

However, during this time of waiting, or delay, I was pleasantly surprised to find a source of joy. You see, in the present day culture of America, there is a lot of emphasis on instant gratification. Google, texts, YouTube, Hulu; they all let you get what you want now. Whether it’s the answer to a question, or a missed episode of a TV series, there is not a lot of value in waiting. But waiting in the airport, I found how nice it is to not be in constant motion. On this trip I purposefully left my cell phone at home, so I could engage with what was going on in the moment. And during this time of waiting, things began to happen.

Other passengers, also taking plane to Haiti, were gathering in the airport, and we began to strike up a conversation about why they were going to Haiti. We found out one family was hoping to adopt a child from the country and that they were going to visit the orphanage where the child lived. And we were also able to share with them about our purpose in going; setting up a radio station for the area, and running a soccer camp. We even prayed together, even though we had just met these people. It was a beautiful moment.

Once the plane landed, we began to move again, proceeding from check-in, through security. However, God wasn’t done with our time of waiting. He soon provided another opportunity to be still. You see, we were planning on taking this huge 80 pound box with us to Haiti. It had equipment for the radio station we were setting up. However, the airline wouldn’t allow such a heavy, and cumbersome box aboard. So a few team members stayed behind, in the check in area, to wait for a friend in Florida to pick up the box. The rest of us proceeded through security and to a Burger King for a hurried lunch.

Then, it happened; a security threat. There was a suspicious bag left at the check in area, and all of the people there, including our team members who had stayed behind, were forced to evacuate. Now our team was separated, and our flight was supposed to leave in 15 minutes! Remembering what I had learned yesterday, we all stopped to pray that God would take care of us, and bring our team together again.

We went to the gate for our plane, and were quite relieved to hear that our plane would not be taking off without our other team members. In fact, the people from Haiti who were running the check in were also stuck with everyone else who had been evacuated. So  we had another large chunk of time to just sit and wait. It was another delay. But also another opportunity. And so we began to share testimonies in our group. We shared stories of how we had started following Jesus and gotten to the point that we were now at in our lives. It was a real time of team bonding. And part way through, the few team members who we had left at check-in, appeared! God had provided a way through the airport, even with all the security block offs.

Eventually we were able to board the plane, and fly to Haiti. I had been to Haiti before, so the 3rd world country was not surprising to me. The biggest lesson I had learned that day was: God can turn times of delay and waiting into times of joy as community and relationships grow.

Haiti Stories

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Aug 19

Lessons from Haiti: A day of frustrations

by lydiamhill

So I’ve decided to do a series of blog posts about my mission trip to Haiti. I know it’s not what I usually write about on this blog, but I figure I can tell some fun stories, and who knows, it may turn into a novel or book someday. I’m going to break up each day of the trip into a blog post and hopefully come up with one lesson that I learned on each day of the trip.

So feel free to leave comments, suggestions, or any of your own stories or lessons you’ve learned from your own adventures.

Haiti airport

Day 1: A Day of Frustrations

Early Friday morning I set off to the airport to meet the group of 15 people headed for Haiti. But right off the bat, I was hit with distractions, or frustrations really. I hadn’t slept well the night before the trip, or really the whole week leading up to it. In addition, my sister had woken me up, due to a panic attack in the middle of the night. So I was… not rested. In addition, I’m a very time-oriented person, so when I was unable to get to the airport at 8:00 am, and in fact was the last of the group to arrive, I found my attitude about the trip as a whole taking a turn for the worse.

After hugging loved ones goodbye, we set off to check in at the baggage check. And then another unforeseen event occurred, our connecting flight to Florida, leaving from Dallas, was said to be delayed and we were told we would have to take a later flight. This would mean that instead of getting into Florida in time for some dinner and chill time, we wouldn’t get in till 9:30, and probably wouldn’t get to our hotel till after 10pm.

This frustrating stream of events was getting under my skin, but I took a minute to relax and reminded myself that none of this should be unexpected. Mission trips are rarely a smooth process. I released my anger to God and went on with the group, passing through security and making it safely to Dallas for our connecting flight.

When we landed in Dallas, I was surprised and excited to find out that the original flight we were supposed to take was not delayed after all and that our group was in the process of being transferred back to our original flight. Things were looking up, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I grabbed some girls from our group and just stopped to pray. In the middle of the airport we gave the whole situation into the Lord’s hands, and asked Him to show up.

After that moment, I stopped worrying. And God did show up! Our flight was switched without any more hassle, and our whole group made it to Florida in good spirits.

However, the day was not over, and God provided one more lesson in providence before it came to an end. I know it sounds a little weird for a group on a “mission trip” to go out to a fancy restaurant, but we did. We went to the Cheesecake Factory of all places. I’d only been once before in my life, so this was a big treat. However, going to any restaurant on a Friday night with 15 people means a long wait. And I mean a LONG wait. We were told it would take about an hour, but when that hour turned into two hours, all of us were experiencing some impatience.

Now I know this is a mission trip, and I should be expecting the unexpected, but we were still in America. We weren’t in Haiti at all, and this was difficult. We were all starving by this point, one team member even said he was close to “angry bear mode.” But still we were waiting. I started getting anxious thoughts about not getting enough rest for the morning, or maybe even the restaurant closing before we could get something to eat.

And that’s when we did it, finally… it really shouldn’t have taken us this long. We prayed. We asked God to open up the tables so we could eat. It’s amazing what God will do, once you actually stop to ask Him for something. Within minutes the tables were clear and we were being seated.

And that’s the lesson I learned from day 1: Come to God with your problems, and don’t try to handle them alone. Suddenly you’ll find that your frustrations will become glimpses of God at work.

Haiti Stories

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Aug 12

A Whole New World

by lydiamhill

haiti mountainThanks to my good friend who has an amazing camera, here is a shot from the top of a mountain in Haiti. Although the country is very poor, it is rich in beauty.

Even the language I found very beautiful. I went to a church service where I heard American worship songs, but sung in Creole, and I kind of liked the Creole versions better. They just sounded so… I don’t even know how to describe it. I guess the words seem to rhyme more easily in Creole so it was more pleasant to the ear, plus the people singing were so expressive. They sang loudly and with emotion, it was a powerful experience and one I won’t forget.

One more thing I want to mention from my adventure. I always hear of “the language barrier” and it is a real thing. There were definitely times I wanted to communicate something and just couldn’t. But there’s also such thing as “the universal language.” A smile is a smile wherever you go, a laugh is a sound of joy in every country. There are things you can communicate without words, and friendships that can be formed despite a meager barrier of language.

I know this post is a bit scattered, but I just got back from my trip and I’m still adjusting to having internet again, and screens, and phones, and all those distractions that were so blessedly absent during my trip. It takes some getting used to, being interrupted constantly.

I’ll try to post again soon.

Haiti Life

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Jul 31

“I’m going on an adventure!”

by lydiamhill

Image Source: http://s49.photobucket.com/user/filterdose/media/BilboAdventure.gif.html

One of my favorite scenes from The Hobbit, is where Bilbo is running after the dwarfs and yelling to his neighbors “I’m going on an adventure!”

There’s something exciting about going to a new place, doing new things and even though it’s a little bit scary, ultimately it’s very thrilling and you want to tell everyone.

I’ve noticed that in many novels, or stories, the main plot involves a protagonist leaving what is comfortable and going to where things are unexpected. Why is “the journey” so important to a story? Does is force the character to grow, to change, to become something other? There are many great stories that don’t involve a journey, but every story has a change that takes place. In The Hobbit, Gandalf clearly tells Bilbo that if he is to return from this “adventure” he will not be the same. Change, whether it’s from journeying to a new environment or current relationships becoming something different, is scary. We like things to stay the same, to be comfortable. Just as Bilbo is very sure that adventures is not what he wants, we often want everything to stay the same.

However, things are always changing, we can’t escape it. And change can be a good thing. Once everyone has left Bilbo to start the adventure, he finds himself alone in his big house, and something occurs to him. Does he really want this? Suddenly the thought of missing out on something great becomes more unbearable than the thought of leaving a comfortable home. And even though going means change, Bilbo decides it’s worth it.

I’m going on my own adventure in a couple days, I’ll be leaving the country for a whole week. And I’m excited, just like Bilbo I want to yell “I’m going on an adventure!” This will mean that I’ll change, but just like Bilbo, I’m embracing it.

However, this means I won’t be posting for awhile…

But I’m sure I’ll have “a tale or two to tell” when I get back.

Books Movies

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Jul 22

Expectations

by lydiamhill

https://www.flickr.com/photos/codex41/9725166177

Lone Ranger 2013 Movie Poster

It was my birthday this past week, and as a present, I got to go see two new movies in theaters. Now in general, I prefer kids movies. If you’ve been reading my blog, you already know that I liked Monsters University a lot more than The Man of Steel. It seems to me that kids movies, in general, have a fairly good storyline without crude language or questionable scenes. However, it is not always the case that kids movies end up being more enjoyable than other movies, as you will soon find out.

So, as I was saying, it was my birthday and one of my good friends wanted to take me to see some movies. We decided on Despicable Me 2 and The Lone Ranger. Now, I think a big part of what makes a movie enjoyable is EXPECTATIONS. If you really want a movie to be good and then it doesn’t meet those high expectations, you end up disappointed, even if the movie itself wasn’t that bad. Or if you go to a movie, expecting it to be lame, you might be surprised by some emotional moments and end up liking the movie. Of course this isn’t always the case. When I went to see Tron Legacy, I was expecting it to be a bad movie, and when I walked out of the theater I was only more convinced that I didn’t like it. And when I went to see Monsters University, I was hoping it would be really good, and it fulfilled my expectations. But no matter how you look at it, expectations do influence us.

So, the big question before I tell you about the movies I saw is: what were my expectations for each?

Let’s start with Despicable Me 2. I did see the first Despicable Me, and to tell the truth, I was disappointed. From the previews I was hoping for a hilarious kids movie, and I found the jokes, especially involving the minions, not very entertaining. I know a lot of people who really liked the movie, but I wasn’t a fan. So going into the sequel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be more of the same? Or perhaps an improvement to the original? In any case, my expectations were not very high.

Then there’s The Lone Ranger. I’m not a diehard fan of the old TV series, but I have seen about 2-3 episodes on Hulu of how the show started. So I had a grounding in the characters, but wasn’t sentimental about how the show was made. I was looking forward to an updated version of the old west drama.

And now to the results! I enjoyed The Lone Ranger more than Despicable Me 2. A lot of this had to do with expectations, but it also had to do with storyline. I expected Despicable Me 2, to be like it’s predecessor, and it was. Since I didn’t love the first movie I didn’t love the second. It was an average movie, with a fairly predictable plot line, a few new characters, and some more minion jokes. But with the Lone Ranger, I had no preconceived notions about what it should be like, and only a basic understanding of the original plot of the TV series. So I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about Tonto’s past and why he acted the way he did, and seeing John slowly transform from a city lawyer into The Lone Ranger. I think the film did a good job balancing a connection to the original, while sill being able to poke fun at some of it’s aspects. It had a satisfying ending that wasn’t completely predictable, and interesting characters that I cared about.

So there you go, expectations are a big deal. They done completely determine a movie’s likeability, (the movie has some work to do too) but it does play a significant role.

So How to Train your Dragon 2, you better be good, because I’m expecting big things from you!

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:How_to_Train_Your_Dragon_2_logo.svg

Movies

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Jul 9

Finishing

by lydiamhill

How do you decide when something is finished? Whether it’s writing a report for a class, or refurbishing your house, all projects eventually need to be “done.” I’ve had friends and relatives, and I admit I’ve fallen into this category too, who are perfectionists. We want everything to be perfect, we want our best effort to be seen. And well this makes it hard to ever be “finished.”

However, I’ve started to overcome this obstacle to finishing. I think it started in my first painting class in college. I had painted before, and well… it took forever. Every dab of paint was important, I had to use tiny dots of paint on my brush so I didn’t have too much and mess up all my work. It seriously took me at least four months to finish one tiny little picture.

Well the first day of class I come in to find that we will be painting 6 pictures in one semester, all on large canvases. My world was turned upside down. I couldn’t paint like a perfectionist anymore, the limited amount of time wouldn’t let me. And so, I changed. Instead of putting tiny dots of paint on my brush, I’d scoop up a big blob. Instead of dabbing the canvas, I’d make big strokes. It was hard to relearn, to change, to be uncomfortable with “the mess.” But thankfully I had a good teacher. He showed me that if I just went for it, and got all the basic shapes and colors arranged, then I could come back in with details later and still end up with a beautiful painting.

October 2009 030
I think the same thing can happen with writers. We start off wanting to write something, a novel perhaps, or a poem, or whatever. But we want it to be perfect, to perfectly express what’s in our minds. And that makes it hard to start. We can spend so much time on little changes, on using “the perfect word” to describe something, that we end up never finishing.

Instead I’d challenge writers to just start. Spit out whatever is on your brain, even if it isn’t very good, and then come back later and “touch up.” That’s what editing is for anyway. And then when you finally finish that paper or project, celebrate! Don’t critique yourself with little errors you missed, just enjoy the final product and relax.

So here’s a poem I “finished.” Hope you enjoy it. 🙂

Lydia Hill

February 2, 2012

Life’s Gait

I used to take riding lessons

in the dust of a parched Texas summer.

The steady beat and swift breeze

kept me circling the worn path.

Click of the tongue,

nudge to the stomach,

tug on the reigns,

up and down with the motion.

Sometimes we canter quickly,

sometimes we walk slow,

but always we must move.

We cannot stop the flow

round the earth,

round the sun,

the motion of time,

since life first begun.

We like to think

we have control,

that our choices determine

where we will go.

Then in the air, all

power stripped away

hit the hard ground

wondering what went wrong

Did I lose control

or ever even have it?

Legs shake as I rose, to face

my choice.

Do I sit out on life?

Or jump back in?

It will keep moving,

whatever my decision.

I could fall again,

and break more than my pride.

But is security worth the price,

of losing out on life?

I climbed back on,

determined to keep in mind

that despite my lack of control,

life is still a fun ride.

Painting Poetry Writing

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Jun 28

What makes a good story?

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monsters_University_logo.svg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sitsgirls/8903907643

Alright, I’ve seen two movies recently and they got me thinking about storyline and what makes a good story. I bet you can guess which two movies I just saw, but can you guess which one I liked and which one I loved?

I’ll tell you at the end of my post, but you might be able to figure it out for yourself before then. Now before I start, I want to make sure everyone knows that I don’t want to bash either film. I did enjoy both of these movies and I think they’re both worth seeing in theaters.

Now on to what makes a good… or let’s say great story.

First of all, and this is in no particular order, you need good characters. Now I don’t mean good in the sense of some heroic protagonist, there have been good movies based around the perspective of the villain too. No what I mean is developed characters, characters we understand and connect with and care about. And this isn’t just the main character, a good story has several background characters that also have depth. So basically for a good story, we need characters that aren’t “flat.”

On to number two; a good story needs some unexpected twists. It needs to be unique. A story that follows the same old plot line of a typical “romance” or “underdog story” or “hero” or whatever, is boring. A good story has something new and original and hopefully surprises the audience with something unexpected. (It’s hard for me to enjoy an ending that I saw coming).

Number three; a good story needs to connect with the audience. If I don’t care about what happens to the characters, that’s a pretty bad sign. A good story draws you in, because you identify with the storyline. Maybe it’s about a kid that gets picked on or left out and you went through that. Or maybe it’s about someone in love with a person they can never have, and you’ve felt the agony of loving someone from a distance. It doesn’t really matter what the connection is, but there needs to be one, or else the audience won’t care, no matter how many cool effects or explosions there are. And what makes a great movie is if it can connect with a wide audience, not just a specific group.

And number four, at least for me, is comedy. I know not every movie is a comedy, but is seems like there are usually a few jokes in every film, just to lighten the mood. However, it seems like most jokes rely on simple potty humor or are at least crude in nature. I really enjoy jokes that can make everyone laugh and that are funny without having to be crude.

So, can you guess which movie I liked better? (drum roll…) It’s Monster’s University!

So I don’t want to say I didn’t like Man of Steel, but compared to Monster’s University, it was kind of a let down. Maybe my expectations were too high for the red-caped hero but I found myself not connecting very well with the character. Perhaps that’s because Clark Kent was always on the run, not connecting with the people in his own storyline. But I also felt like the background characters in the movie were flat. I didn’t know anyone’s name from the newspaper that Lois Lane worked for, but her co-workers kept showing up in the storyline. I also felt like the plot was somewhat predictable and the little jokes that were thrown in didn’t really make me laugh. It had a fairly good story line, but I didn’t really connect with the characters enough, so I didn’t care that the world was ending.

In Monster’s University however, I connected with the characters right away. It’s hard not to connect with the little kid who is always left out and told “no you can’t.” I feel like everyone has been that person at one time or another. We all want things to change and can easily cheer for someone who is trying to succeed despite the opposition. And I feel like kid’s movies in general appeal to a wider audience because the film is intended for children as well as parents to enjoy. I also was surprised by the storyline. I didn’t expect that Mike and Randall would be roommates and that Sully and Mike would be so aggressively competitive. I also was surprised that the ending was so realistic. They actually got kicked out of school for their escapades and had to work their way into a “scaring position” at Monsters Inc. Also, throughout the movie I was laughing hysterically, especially at the “mom” character. Plus they were good clean jokes. And I didn’t think the background characters were flat, I actually saw them develop and change too. All in all it was a very enjoyable movie that I could say “Yes I liked it” before the credits had even finished rolling, and that I wouldn’t hesitate to see again.

So, that’s what I think a story needs to be great. I’m sure there are lots of other things a great story needs that I didn’t mention, but this is just a blog not a book, so we’ll stick with those four things: developed characters, unique story, connection with the audience, and clean humor.

So what did you think of the movies? Or what’s something you feel a great story needs? Leave a comment if you want, they’re always welcome.

Movies

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Jun 26

Deadlines

by lydiamhill

Time, Levy, Deadline, Hand, Leave, Pen, Note, Calendar

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/time-levy-deadline-hand-leave-pen-481444/

This week I’ve been feeling the pressure of deadlines. Whether it’s applying for a job, turning in a paper, or even finishing your own to-do list, we all have deadlines. They can be frustrating, stressful, and almost give you a panic attack. I know there were definitely times in school when I’d have nightmares that a paper was actually due the next day and I was going to miss my deadline.

A world without deadlines sounds nice, but in reality, we need deadlines. Or at least I know I do. It’s hard for me to start working on a project if there is no “due date” no “deadline” no ultimate completion date. I hate the stress of deadlines, but I love what they force me to do; start working.

It seems like the only projects I ever finish are the ones that have deadlines. Even the fun projects, like painting, or writing, have to have deadlines or I just won’t finish them. For example, I’ve been working on a novel for years, but it wasn’t till I started forcing deadlines onto myself that I actually made progress. The first deadline I gave myself was to finish the manuscript by November 1st so I could participate in National Novel Writing Month with a sequel to my “finished” first novel. And this goal, or “deadline” got me working. I started writing more and more. I worked so hard that I even finished my first draft before November 1st and had time to start planning my sequel.

But now, I’m in another mode of writing; the editing phase. I wrote about this last week in my blog. Editing requires deadlines just as much as writing does. Well, my deadline is June 30th. I only have a few days left to finish making last minute changes and corrections before I get 5 sample copies of my very first novel printed. It’s exciting, but also nerve wracking. Sometimes I wish I had more time. However,  I don’t think more time would actually help in my situation. It would just give me more time to watch Netflix and put off actually finishing my editing.

So even though deadlines sometimes feel like a curse, I think they are actually a blessing in disguise…

So what about you? Do deadlines help you actually start working and stop procrastinating? Or do they just make life more stressful? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Books Writing

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Jun 21

The Editor

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Hatemag_Feminist_Edit-a-thon_Berlin

Let’s face it, every writer needs to edit. But at some point, we need a little help.

I remember some of my first English classes in high school and starting to learn how to edit other people’s work. It’s kind of funny how we so easily spot errors and unclear ideas in another person’s work but when we stare at our own, we can’t figure out what’s wrong or what we need to change.

Recently I’ve been working on editing my first novel, and it’s hard. I’ve read over the whole thing so many times I’ve lost count, yet there’s still little details that need to be changed. Thankfully, I have friends and family to act as my editors. Even if they aren’t “professional” they still notice when I use “their” instead of “they’re” or accidentally type the same word twice. Even plot lines and illogical scenarios are easily spotted by another person’s perspective. I was quite surprised when one reader came back to me after reading about 8 chapters and handed me a large sheet of paper with several notes. For some reason I thought I was “done” that only one or two errors could possibly be left after all my own editing and hard work. But as I made my way through the long list of things this “editor” had noticed, I realized just how much work I still had to do.

I think the problem I have, and probably a lot of writers have is getting stuck in our own little world. Everything makes sense to us here, whether because of long thought and careful decisions, or because it has stayed the same so long, that it feels normal. But once someone new, who hasn’t seen all the drafts, revisions, changes, and subplot starts reading our work, things we never noticed become apparent.

And it’s kind of cool to be on the other end of the line; to be the editor. You get to read someone’s work and point out things, give suggestions, say what you liked and didn’t like and know in the end the author could listen to you or totally ignore you. And it’s cool to come back to the finished product later and see what the result of your suggestions were.

When I was in college, one of my professors told a story about how she suggested something about adding potatoes into a short story by a fellow writer. And the guy actually used her idea. I saw the same thing happen over and over in the creative workshops I attended. Someone’s different perspective gave a spark to an author. We all need that sometimes, whether it’s encouragement that what we’re writing does actually make sense to  other people, or a critique that helps us see what needs to change. Even writer’s block can be helped by a friend reading your work and telling you what they think.

I know author’s are often criticized as not allowing anyone to read their work till it is “finished.” But I don’t think that is the way it should be. You may not be the person they want critique from, but I bet they’re letting someone read their work and give them feedback. Because that’s how we become better writers, we keep learning, keep reading, and keep listening to what others are saying.

So thank you to anyone who’s been an editor, whether in grade school when you read your classmate’s essay, or professionally. Thank you for adding your perspective to an author’s world. I’m sure there are several writers out there, who wouldn’t be where they are now, if it wasn’t for a good, or several good editors.

Writing

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