The Editor’s Job is to Ask Questions

I was talking with one of my editors this morning. She was worried her edits would not be helpful to the author. Her doubt stemmed from all the issues she’d flagged in the manuscript, like repetitive language, anachronistic details, and certain scenes that might ring false to readers informed on the topic. Because she didn’t have the solution to these issues, she felt like she was throwing stones, rather than helping the reader build. I replied that editors have questions, not answers, and it’s their job to raise these questions and ask the author to grapple with them.

What questions might an editor ask?

• On story: Are we drifting too far from the central plot? Where does this piece fit in the overall chronology of events?
• On character: What is this character’s motivation? What is this character’s background? How has the relationship between these two characters developed over time?
• On details: What does the scene look like, smell like, feel like? What is the character wearing? What is the weather doing? Is this how [something] really works?
• On word choice: Is there another way to phrase this? Could this word be more precise? Does this word mean [definition]?
• On structure: Would a paragraph break help the flow? Could this character’s monologue be broken up by interjections from their conversational partner?
• On really big things: How does this fit into the overall theme of the work?

Questions like these ask the writer to reflect on their manuscript. They may prompt changes, or they may not. They may lead to direct edits where the editor asked the question, or to changes in other places. They may lead the author to seek another opinion on a certain section. They may lead the author to say, “This editor doesn’t get it.” (And that’s a totally okay thing to think! The editor is a close and careful reader, but they are still just one reader.)

The actions that the writer chooses to take should be of their own volition. They should feel motivated to address the editor’s questions. Sometimes their answer should be, “Thank you so much for asking. I’m happy with how things are.” Sometimes their answer should be, “I’m glad you flagged this! Changing now!” And sometimes, once in a very rare while, their answer might be, “Oh wow. I need to give this a lot more thought. You’ve pointed out something really important that makes me think differently about the manuscript.”

As for the editor feeling bad about not having the answers, that’s okay! The idea—that creative spark that generates greatness—came to the author, and the author has nurtured it into a flame that fuels their work on the project. Editing may not provide a similar spark. Sometimes, when editing, I can see a plot adjustment that could address a number of questions I raised. This feels like the story has shared its spark with me. Other times, I stick with just my questions and hope the writer will feel motivated by them. But in the end, the editor is doing their job if asking questions.

When you read over someone’s work, how do you approach your feedback? Do you use questions? And do you interrogate your own work as part of your review process? Share your thoughts in the comments!