An editor is, in a way, a philosopher.
Just as a philosopher seeks answers to the great questions of life, an editor seeks clarity within a body of words. Her job is to ask questions of her authors, to discover the whys, whats, and hows of stories. She takes pleasure in clarifying confused thoughts.
Lots of things can cause confused thoughts to appear. Sometimes the author has the story mapped out in his mind but forgets to transfer it all to paper. Sometimes he doesn't notice a gap in his logic or storyline. Sometimes she does not know how to explain a complex feeling and so glosses over it. Sometimes the brilliant cadence of a phrase overrides the author's sense that something is wrong.
So, like a philosopher, I get to address problems that some people don't see. But I'm pleased to take this kind of philosophy one step further. I get to solve mysteries (some solutions depend on the context), not just theorize about them.
Just as a philosopher seeks answers to the great questions of life, an editor seeks clarity within a body of words. Her job is to ask questions of her authors, to discover the whys, whats, and hows of stories. She takes pleasure in clarifying confused thoughts.
Lots of things can cause confused thoughts to appear. Sometimes the author has the story mapped out in his mind but forgets to transfer it all to paper. Sometimes he doesn't notice a gap in his logic or storyline. Sometimes she does not know how to explain a complex feeling and so glosses over it. Sometimes the brilliant cadence of a phrase overrides the author's sense that something is wrong.
So, like a philosopher, I get to address problems that some people don't see. But I'm pleased to take this kind of philosophy one step further. I get to solve mysteries (some solutions depend on the context), not just theorize about them.
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