January 6, 2012

Max Perkins: Editor of Genius


I just finished A. Scott Berg's biography of Maxwell Perkins, the beloved jack-of-all-trades editor at Scribner's and Sons in New York City.

What a treasure trove for a writer!

Perkins was influential in so many nervous scenarios where an author was stumped on a chapter title or a book title or a chapter ending or a plot twist.

January 3, 2012

Early January Work Kick-Off


It's been a busy day with the red pen.

But it's been instructive.

I have a better sense of what sections to highlight during my next long session on the computer, working with the manuscript document. I will peruse the script, chapter by chapter, correcting the mistakes I've marked with a pen.

Also, I feel inclined to change at least one chapter title. It's nail-biting because it's so important and symbolic, but one of them just feels out of place--even this late in the game.