Let's face a truth that might ruffle some feathers in the traditional writing world: there's no such thing as bad writing. Hold on, hear me out! I'm not saying everything scribbled on a napkin is destined for literary greatness. What I am saying is that every piece of writing, no matter how rough around the edges, has a voice, a spark, a potential audience yearning to hear it.
Think of it like this: imagine a wonderfully vibrant, exotic fish, shimmering with scales of a thousand colors. Now, imagine dropping that fish into a murky puddle in your backyard. Would you call the fish "ugly" or "bad" because it looks out of place, its colors dulled by the mud? Of course not! The fish isn't the problem; the pond is.
And that's precisely how we should view writing that doesn't quite land, stories that feel… off. It's not inherently flawed; it's simply swimming in the wrong pond. Maybe the story's voice is too sophisticated for its intended young adult readers. Perhaps its experimental structure is alienating a readership craving a classic, linear narrative. Or maybe its genre conventions are clashing with the expectations of readers in a different genre entirely.
The "fault," if we can even call it that, isn't in the core content, the essence of the story itself. It lies in the mismatched marriage between the story and its potential readers. The writing might be brilliant, but its delivery is lost in translation for the current target. This is how all writers feel. :)
This is where the magic of editing enters the scene. Forget the red pen of doom, the nitpicking grammar police in your mind. True editing isn't about tearing down; it's about building bridges, forging connections, and orchestrating the perfect literary wedding. The editor, in this view, becomes the ultimate matchmaker, their sole purpose to unite the heart of the story with the hearts of its destined audience.
Editing is about asking the crucial questions: Who is this story meant for? Are they receiving the message clearly? Is the form and style serving the story’s purpose, or hindering it? Perhaps the message is powerful, but the delivery feels muddled. Maybe the structure is confusing, obscuring the emotional core. Or perhaps the tone is jarring, pushing away readers who would otherwise connect deeply with the narrative.
And in this exciting new era of AI-powered tools, editing has become more accessible and transformative than ever before. Large Language Models (LLMs) have given us the power to rewrite, restructure, and refine with unprecedented speed and flexibility. Suddenly, revising paragraphs, experimenting with different tones, even reimagining entire scenes becomes less of a Herculean task and more of an engaging exploration.
But here's the crucial point: with the ease of AI comes an even greater responsibility for the editor to be clear about their purpose. Simply rewriting for the sake of rewriting is like rearranging furniture in a room without knowing why. The editor must be the visionary, holding a clear picture of the ideal reader in their mind, understanding their expectations, their desires, and how the story can best resonate with them.
Is the message getting lost in overly complex sentences? AI can help you streamline them. Is the pacing dragging in the middle? AI can assist in tightening and focusing the narrative flow. Is the voice inconsistent? AI can be used to refine and unify the tone across the story.
The power of AI in editing is undeniable, but it amplifies the editor’s role, not diminishes it. Now, more than ever, the editor must be a purposeful architect, a discerning matchmaker. They must possess a clear vision of the story's potential and a deep understanding of its intended audience.
So, embrace the power of editing, especially in this AI-assisted age. See it not as a correction of flaws, but as a process of harmonious alignment. Because in the vast ocean of readers, every story, even the seemingly "bad" ones, is a shimmering, exotic fish, just waiting to be placed in its perfect pond, ready to dazzle its destined audience. And it's the editor's loving hand that guides it there, officiating the holy matrimony between story and reader.
My Story Isn't Bad. The Algorithm Just Sent You to the Wrong Place
