Being an Editor so YOU can be the Main Character

I hate to be one of those people who say they want to be an editor because you get to read all day, every day. But really, I am one of those. There are so many technicalities involved, like grammar, punctuation, and American vs. UK English. However, I want to edit because I find a thrill in the little things. Little things like “If I put this comma here, it will create a bigger effect.” And “If I make these sentences shorter, I’ll invoke anxiety in the reader.”

Not only do I find enjoyment in picking apart sentences, but I also find a sense of self in each manuscript. Almost every story has a main character, and the way that the text is written, the author wants the reader to feel what the main character feels. As an editor, I find responsibility in making sure the reader feels like the main character.

I want the reader to fall in love harder than Bella Swan. Be brave like Violet Sorrengail. Experience every emotion boldly like Nesta Archeron. Find what makes them special, like Mare Barrow, and use it to make a change. Rebel like Persephone. Sympathize like Hades. Sing like Loralei. Fight like Kazi. But most importantly, find who you are in the books you want to read. You are, in some way, the heroine of a story, if not someone else's, then your own.