Maximum Comprehension

By Paul McCarthy - Nov 25 , 2007

For the author, the ultimate creative goal is the best new book they can write, either on their own or working with an editor. When an author does have an editor, that editor knows that the ultimate editorial goal is providing the author with the most assistance in achieving their best book.

Part of that goal involves two major editorial functions:

• Confirmation — of all that is as good as it should be, at each particular stage of the creative/editorial process.
• Suggestions — for improvement: all that the editor thinks and recommends that the author revise, add, delete, distill, etc., so that the book can continue becoming better, until it’s the final best book.

In striving to achieve the ultimate editorial goal, and assist the author at every stage in the process, the editor focuses on one of the most essential goals of editing:

• Establishing and maintaining maximum comprehension of the evolving book.

Because that comprehension is the foundation of the editing, the editor must know and understand all that has been written:

• from the best to the worst;
• most important aspects to details;
• everything the author has expressed and included.

That knowledge and understanding enable the editor to engage in the best confirmation and suggestions for improvement at each stage. The challenge of achieving such comprehension for any particular book, is determined, in part, by these factors:

1. How much has or has not been achieved in the outline, first chapters, partial, substantial, or complete manuscript.
2. How much of the manuscript has been written and creatively evolved, when the editor prepares for their first editing of the book, and working with the author.
3. How many stages of editing and revision have been engaged in, when the editor prepares for the latest stage of editing.

Whether first edit or continuing, the two most fundamental approaches to comprehension throughout are engaged in as often as possible and appropriate, and are:

• editorial readings of the first-edit” material, and subsequently revised/edited writings; and
• editorial discussions with the author for:

• mutual clarity, agreement, understanding, and potential adjustments in planned editing;
•  greater, mutual understanding of the author’s vision of the book, beyond what’s written;
• possible creative evolution in conceptual form, that will elevate and guide the editing when it occurs.

When the editor is preparing for first editing, full comprehension is of what’s been written and conceptually evolved, and as discussed with the author.

The editor has an additional goal when preparing for all subsequent stages of editing, based on the most recently revised version. They become aware of everything in the manuscript that the author, based on the previous editorial notes and discussions, has changed, deleted, and added.

Finally, if author and editor are evolving and editing an incomplete manuscript, the editor also attains total understanding of the new writing, as the manuscript is lengthened and elevated in achievement.

It’s imperative for the editor to remember and recollect their most recent and richest comprehension. Recording notes is valuable and permanent, but in addition to and in some ways even better, is maximizing the capacities of their conscious and subconscious memories.

There are inherent limits to what can be consciously remembered. Therefore, the editor strives to drive their remembering so deep that it becomes part of their subconscious.

The value of such conscious and subconscious memory is that the comprehension is always “there.” Also, the more the editor can rely on memory alone, the more they clear their minds, sharpen their focus, and generate new, good ideas as they read, think, and edit.

It’s only when the author has finally achieved their very best book that the editor can stop evolving and adding to their understanding.

However, when the author is ready to write their new, next book .  .  .  .