Let’s address an issue today that a lot of aspiring writers run into with their critiquers:

“I don’t get what’s going on here.”

I did a Copy & Line Edit on the opening pages of a very beautiful novel this past week. I did a Developmental Edit—along with a Copy & Line Edit of the climax—of this novel last year, after the author came to me with numerous responses from agents saying, “This is so beautiful, and so very close, but it just doesn’t quite make it.” She has a prominent agent now and already had her book accepted for publication by a small press (although she eventually chose not to go with them). Now we’re polishing her hook with some advice from all the agents who offered to represent her in her last round of submissions (yes, she got multiple offers), as well as from her beta readers.

I cut a whole bunch of stuff.

She wrote back saying, “I’m so glad you cut those bits! I only added them because readers said they didn’t get what was going on, although I thought it was perfectly clear in the first place.”

What do you do when you’ve written your prose as cleanly and concisely and tellingly as possible, and then your beta readers say, “I don’t get it”?

Say, “Thanks for your feedback!” It’s always good to be polite.

Then go directly to the greats and see how they handled it.

The problem with non-writers—or even writing non-editors—giving advice to writers is they very often don’t understand what the issue is. The issue is always one thing and one thing only:

* reader investment

So let’s talk about “clarifying” what’s going on. Then we’ll talk about NOT “clarifying” what’s going on. . .

Read the full essay on The Art & Craft of Fiction.

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