Editor vs Coach: The Secret to Efficient Writing Feedback

[@TS4072]

INCITING INCIDENT: Will Tronoski is reviewing student scenes. COMPLICATION: Tim complains that Will's scene reviews are taking forever to complete. TURNING POINT / REVELATION: Tim offers a key insight: focusing on a few major scene problems is more effective than overwhelming the writer with too many issues. Less analysis can be more beneficial. CRISIS / IRRECONCILABLE GOODS: CHOICE 1: Should the writer prioritize writing scenes for practice and development? CHOICE 2: Should the writer focus on crafting a scene specifically for publication? CLIMAX: The writer needs to pick one of these approaches before starting to write. RESOLUTION: Focusing on one specific goal (practice or publication) will ultimately improve the writer's skills.

[@rbowdenscipio3408]

That's why short stories are foundational to the development of writing skills. They're short enough that you can practice, but not so long that you get bogged down. Then, when you're ready to write a novel, treat it like a series of short stories. Then you get to chase the Practice and Publishing goals at the same time.

[@JasmineELFatimi]

I was floored. Huge thanks; that's why I got nowhere with all these useless tips and tricks out there. Wrong focus all along uh... Respect for the insight. I think it's quite a deep understanding of what writing is actually about : profoundness, meaningful impact, a transformative experience and journey over mere entertaiment.

[@christophercrowley596]

What Will realized is a game changer. Is there a video showing the two modes (editor feedback vs skill focus feedback)? Thanks😊

[@feruspriest]

To quote Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive: Journey over Destination.

[@mcrumph]

I practice by writing some sentence, then rewriting a sentence, & then, yes, rewriting the sentence. I think about word choice, and diction, and tempo, and colour, and length, and voice, and anything else I can think of that will turn it from an okay sentence, into something that is closer to a great sentence. The books I read are by authors that write really great sentences. Look at Henry James, Umberto Eco, Hermann Broch--they know how to write sentences. I figure if I can get this down, everything else will take care of itself. Also, I never consider publishing when I'm writing. If that is your goal, mastery of the craft will always be a beast you will never match stride with.

[@scobrado]

I've tried. I can't get through Moby Dick or War and Peace.

[@MrSteveyz]

The audiobook might be the answer while you're doing dishes.

[@theapavlou3030]

Is it wrong that I don't want to publish any old rubbish when I was practicing learning the skill of writing. I'm finding all the lessons and feedback are helping with that but every time I improve Im having to redraft and edit again and again all of the older crap I wrote ... as a result, yes I now agree I shouldn't have started writing without the practice but the series is started now and book 1 is almost done in 2nd draft, book 2 is in rough draft, book 3 is in rough draft but chapters are plotted out. I can't undo all of that and the pressure for book 1 to be better than a practice novel is key to marketing and having readers return for the next 2 instalments. Feels like I'm never going to finish, I don't work in bursts of inspiration, I have a chart and table of beats/beat sheets that I have to abide by. How many drafts is this going to take? I figure after 2nd draft I'll do a 3rd to fix tenses and focus the POV

[@dcle944]

Yeah, I was training someone. I tried to make him better but he only wanted his scenes better. It’s frustrating.

[@dexterpoindexter3583]

Yes, anyone would be frustrated. How _dare_ you decide which direction to change someone else? As Shepherd Book said (in a different context), this is a sin as serious as coughing in the theater.

[@MrSteveyz]

So why wouldn't you have communicated what you were looking for from the guy coming on? If you're looking for a coach, and asking for an editor, it's your lack of communication that resulted in time wasted. It's not that more or less is better. It's what makes your point in the clearest way.

[@StoryGrid]

It's pretty amazing that you've never been stuck on a problem that you couldn't see but then, once you figured it out, seems obvious to yourself and KZbin commenters. - Tim

[@MrSteveyz]

@StoryGrid looking at assumptions or potential assumptions being made is one of the first things I look at when I receive an undesired result from anything. Like, I'm assuming what is wasteful here in this conversation is the response from the creator of the video because I'm assuming it's meant to be snippy and sarcastic. But let's look at my assumptions, I assumed that I was being constructive with my initial criticism. I also assumed that if I responded to a video from a company's KZbin page, I would more likely receive replies from other viewers before the company who put out the video. I would also assume that a company that was looking at comment may have responded to it in a more professional manner than it appears to me. I think there's a lot to be learned here. I think in the future, I may be more inclined to label my comments on this page with a trigger warning of my intention going forward.

[@k.christopherpfeiffer5302]

No! I think your wrong on this. An easy way to write a scene is to address only five things. PCCSQ if you do this in every scene it should work.

[@Magneticlaw]

"More is not better"....try tellimg that to George R.R Martin.....

[@SimonAlexanderMarlow]

I don't think I want my works of art to be perfect.

[@johnphares3358]

It never will be so might as well try.

[@StoryGrid]

What do you want them to be? - Tim

[@SimonAlexanderMarlow]

Engaging. Engaging idea, engaging characters, engaging voice (ideally an original voice) and a sense of immediacy. Once the execution itself achieves a certain level of proficiency I'm happy to embrace an author's quirks or imperfections@@StoryGrid

[@danielleceleste4791]

2:23 aren’t you sort of breaking your own rule with the long-winded setup?

[@sharonobrien218]

Agreee….get to the point!!!!

[@sharonobrien218]

Stop talking and provide specific info what a waste of time