5 Ways to Edit With Empathy by Chelene Knight
Writing is hard. Publishing is hard. Both require massive acts of self-trust and at times, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Handing over your creative heart work to someone for feedback can cause (and even amplify) anxiety, confusion, and fear, but it can also bring you so much joy! At Breathing Space Creative, we focus on what we have control over and infuse empathy into everything we do so that we can help writers change their mindset and build a strong foundation for their creative career.
I remember the first time I received substantive feedback on a piece of writing. It was during a creative writing peer workshop in Downtown Vancouver more than a decade ago. I was not only new to the process of workshopping with my peers, but new to writing in general. But even though I was a complete novice, I sensed that the comments sprinkled across my page were being offered to me from a place of love, wisdom, and intentionality. Reading the notes made me eager to go back into my draft, and make the work better.
The writer who was offering me feedback had posed some very fascinating questions to me about why I made certain choices and it got me thinking about my own intentions. They didn’t say “this doesn’t really work, change it.” They said “I wonder what prompted you to choose this direction for your character. Can you think of her character arc and whether this makes the most sense for her? What is the consequence for this character?” Asking questions in this way can guide the writer, encouraging them to investigate how they came into these decisions for their story. They also shared some of their own personal experiences connected to what I was writing about, which I found to be incredibly valuable come revision time. The writer leaned in with curiosity vs harsh critique. I could tell they read my work closely, and that they could see a clear path for revision and wanted to guide me into seeing it as well. They even offered to chat with me which I thought was going above and beyond what the instructor had asked us to do. Even back then I could tell that this was the magic of a good substantive editor.
Empathetic editing isn’t about sugar coating or sparing someone’s feelings. It’s about understanding the writer’s “why” and helping them clarify a vision that may be muddled or not yet rising to the surface. Empathetic editing can look like putting yourself in the writer’s shoes and just meeting them where they happen to be standing.
Whether you are an editor, or another writer offering feedback on someone's work, what you share, and how you share it, matters. I’ve learned so much from reading other people’s writing over the last 10 years.
Here are five simple ways you can infuse empathy into your editorial feedback:
Ask the writer where they are with the project and what kind of feedback will be most helpful for them right now. Is it a raw first draft? Is it a super polished revision? Your feedback will vary based on the phase the project is in.
Consider using questions when you are curious about something. Questions can guide and pique curiosity!
Insert your own personal experiences in the comments stating why you resonate with what they wrote (this helps the writer picture how certain aspects of their work will land with other readers and why.)
Tone and language matter. Think about different systems or mediums for your feedback. Not everything has to be a Google doc. Think about the language you use. Is it riddled with publishing jargon? Can the language you use be easily misunderstood? SLOW DOWN.
If something isn't landing or needs a LOT of work, try to work backwards and offer astute examples of what the writer can do to reach the desired outcome.
Reminder: Editors are busy. Nowadays editors do so much more than just edit, but becoming an empathetic editor is a choice. If we want writers to thrive, do their best work, make smart, and intuitive decisions about their work, then we have to show up with a bit of love too. Making this a priority will create the necessary ripples we need to see in the publishing industry. No ripple is too small.
Chelene Knight is the author of three books. She is currently working on a commissioned book on self-love and joy called Let It Go forthcoming with HarperCollins Canada in 2024. Chelene is the founder of Breathing Space Creative.
Two ways to work with Breathing Space Creative: