Line editing from a character’s viewpoint
What is line editing from a character’s viewpoint?
A line editor has to learn to look at what is happening in a scene from the viewpoint character’s perspective in order to catch errors in how the story is conveyed.
Here’s an example. Lois, the narrator (“I”), is hiding in a bathroom at an urgent care clinic as they close up for the night:
The receptionist turned off most of the lights in the waiting area and twisted the blinds shut, then stood jangling her keys as the nurses and assistants gathered their belongings from closets and corners and said their goodbyes. The doctor patted one of them on the shoulder and commiserated about some incident from earlier in the day. I smiled a little as I listened from behind the bathroom door. It had been a long time since I’d had a coworker. A long time since I’d had a friend.
The receptionist went out on the heels of the last uniformed nurse, pulling the door shut firmly and locking it, giving the handle a good shake as she said something over her shoulder to the nurse. Both of them laughed. I watched them walk around the corner to where the staff parking was.
When it was safe, I inched open the bathroom door and slipped out of the bathroom. The waiting area was dark but I had my flashlight with me.
So what is the value in line editing from a character’s viewpoint?
While you might have some thoughts about “do we need all these details about everyone leaving the urgent care clinic?” the main problem is that if the narrator is hiding in the bathroom, how can she see what the receptionist is doing? Even if she’s peeking through a slightly ajar door (and can see the nurse lock up), how is she seeing the receptionist and nurse walk around the corner to the staff parking? The next sentence shows that Lois is still in the bathroom!
This is what we might call a “blocking” mistake—that is, a problem with what characters can realistically see and do given the specific constraints of a setting. As a line editor, you have to imagine yourself in the scene, experiencing what the viewpoint character is experiencing and catching impossible or implausible events.
Other Helpful Content
-
The Importance of Client Testimonials and References
Anyone can say, “Hire me, I’m great!” But not everyone has the kind of testimonials and references that can help prove it. As a freelance editor, you may think, “Hey, I’m not asking for a staff job, why do I need references?” The answer is that you need to provide context for people to make
-
The Type of Editing That’s More Powerful than AI
AI is going to kill routine jobs. But it won’t kill jobs that require expertise and human judgment. That’s why it’s important for editors to move beyond basic skills like proofreading. It’s not enough to say, “But homophones!” Most people will accept a small error rate if it means they can save three thousand dollars.
-
When You Don’t Have the “Right” Background
Many students at Club Ed have an English or journalism background, and it makes logical sense that editing is a potential career path for them. But I do have students with a variety of other backgrounds: some are (or were) lawyers, or psychology majors, or history majors. And they sometimes wonder if this is a
