A lot of authors look for editors, but often they are what are called line editors, or copy editors. Don't get me wrong, these are important. It's the copy editors job to make sure all the commas and periods are in the right place, and that your not using one word when you should be using another. No one wants to read a sentence that runs on for half a page without any punctuation.
What does get over looked, however, is content...flow...continuity. This is where content editors come into play. Their job is to read through a story and make sure it all makes sense. Although it sounds simple, it isn't.
Since I write romance, let's use an example from a contemporary romance novel I recently read. The hero has been out in his workshop. A comment is made about how dirty he is from the stain and varnish he's been using. The heroine, of course, doesn't care and before long they are going at it. I'm completely with the author at this point. I mean, who doesn't like some down and dirty sex from time to time.What pulled me out of the scene was what came next. Without any notation about the hero cleaning up, or washing his hands, he starts fingering the heroine.
Now, this isn't the only example. I've read more than one where the couple engages in anal sex, and then immediately switch to traditional intercourse without any barrier or mention of addressing the cleanliness issue.
A good content editor can help the author work through issues like these without interrupting the flow of the scene. It may be as simple as moving the sex to the shower, or having the hero wear a condom for anal activities. Simple things that make a big difference in the believably of the story.
So what are your thoughts? Does believably of a love scene make a difference to you, or do you just over look it as part of the fantasy?
I think it has to be believable for me. If one of the people involved is a contortionist, then I can't relate. I like when the author really thinks all the steps out.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It's always interesting when you read something, especially a love scene, and stop to wonder how this body part got there when just a second ago it was somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteLOL-- I have an awesome beta reader who always calls me on the cleanliness issues (like-- what did they do with the butt plug? when does he wash his finger?). I agree entirely-- a content editor is worth their weight in gold. :)
ReplyDeleteSo do I Renee. I don't know what I would do without my beta. She finds things that don't even cross my mind while writing. Don't know what I'd do without her.
DeleteI've had similar thoughts as you. I read something recently (a sexual position) that I don't think was physically possible. For sure, it would not have been comfortable.I know some authors "practice" positions on dolls, but just because you can make a doll do it, doesn't mean a human can. To write a scene that goes from anal sex to vaginal sex without clean-up in between is irresponsible even if it is fiction.
ReplyDeleteMany authors hear "editing" and they think punctuation, grammar and typos, but CONTENT editing needs to come first. A good content editor helps you tell your story in the best possible way.
I've found that to be true as well. When people say 'editor' they are thinking of grammar and punctuation, but that is only half of editing.
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