Wednesday, 27th May 2020
Hump day.
We’ve made it, halfway through another week, halfway towards the next weekend.
Outside, as the world slowly begins to wake up to the fact that things may be about to open. You can almost sense the anticipation. Shops, from behind shutters, are stirring.
Meanwhile, I am inside, editing.
And it’s great!
Every editing project I complete teaches me something. It could be something technical, like when to use an em or en rule dash, or something more personal. And recently, I have been reading some stories which are truly inspiring. It is the characters that we connect with that really teach us something about ourselves.
One story, from a free sample edit, was about overcoming adversity. A strong character escaping an awful situation. Running for her life and finding friendship in that escape. Which got me wondering, would I be that friend if I found that character?
Another example, from a new author I am working with, has taught me how to have my eyes open to everything around me. It might be fantasy but the characters still speak to us in a way that we understand. Characters in this novel show their love, a dangerous and forbidden love, and demonstrate great resolve through some incredibly tough times.
I am really privileged to get to read these raw stories and to get to learn before the general readership does. And I realise, now more than at any other time, we need stories. We need characters to teach us how to behave, how to interact with each other, how to overcome adversity.
Now might not be the easiest time for everyone. But in fiction, we learn that we can get through the tough times. We can get through the storm to the rainbow on the other side.
Keep writing!
