That's fine, I'm crap when it comes to comma use, and also typos on social media.

I've seen copyeditors get really overzealous about standardizing text like changing all dialogue replies to just be "__ said", instead of things like "__ exclaimed" "_replied", etc.

Absolutely "_ said" is perfectly useful, but to just change them all wholesale is an example of "rules" over reality

With, copyediting the goal is to avoid approaching it like a teacher grading a test. Yes there are "rules" but every author adheres to/bends/breaks those rules in diff ways

Bad copyediting tries to mold text to rules, rather than considering author voice. Again inquiry and empathy are key

5) I celebrate the author wins/victories, places where they are really earning something or doing great work get just as much praise as areas of improvement get critique.

3) I don't presume to know everything. I ask questions. "Tell my why you made this choice?" "What are you trying to achieve here?"

4)I only provide direct suggestions if I know an author wants that. Many don't. They just want identification/diagonosis of challenges/areas of improvement.

2) Context to critiques helps. It locates feedback in a chain of reasoning and not just in emotional reaction. "This isn't working because X. That has Y impact, which limits your Z goal."

OH so many things... (multi-reply)

1) Before we get to any editing I work to develop a relationship with an author around shared radical empathy.

2) Editing can become mean when its a lecture instead of a conversation. Always make it a conversation.

I love working with authors. Understanding the story they are trying to tell + why, then working to make the *best* version of *their* story. Diagnosing and helping to solve issues that are limiting that.

There's like 16 bubble tea spots in my neighborhood (no joke). I tend toward fruit teas.

I remarked to an author recently that "fake and in space" is very much a *feature* and not a bug, in many regards.

Sunday evening, finished a deep clean of the apartment, prepping for publishing course round 2 next week + making some edits for *a thing*. (ask me about it in like a year, maybe)

So...#AMA

He's quite dead.

fun fact - more authors have asked me about Hobbie over the years than Mara.

Chris, I know what kind of writer you are. If anyone could do it, it's you.

Sure it would be hard...like trying to describe what the wind tastes like ;)

There's no "losing" here. Collaborative storytelling - which is what books are - isn't about winning or losing.

I wouldn't characterize it as me "losing", simply because I don't own or decide what happens in these stories.

Storytelling in book form is a collaborate endeavor (when done well). And no one part of the book team feels like we "lost" by choosing one direction over the other.

Well there's a thought that's going to fester...

Ultimately I think I am too...I never want to kill characters "just to do it" that's bad storytelling design.

But I do think about some of the plot opportunities we could have explored if that were the end-game. But I constantly think about "missed opporunities"

Speaking just for RR - it wasn't too hard - because we just identified a *single* thing the Resistance HAD to do, given where they would be in IX.

People + ships. You can't rebuild from "~16 people on the Falcon" without that. So we drove RR toward taking the first step in rebuilding in that way.

Final note - if anyone plans to turn this little thread to some clickbait nonsense article to cause trouble, simply do not. I held this story in for 7 years because of unserious people like you.

Be cool. Go look up at the moon or something.

If you're curious, yes, Norra Wexley would have gone out with him. *You jump, I jump Jack.*

Norra: "You stay, I stay. We make a run for it together or we don't go at all.
Wedge: "But --"
"Done talking."
Wedge smiled. "I love you."
"Good. Now stay alive."

But she was open to it and had great ideas and perspective on how we would make it earned and meaningful.

To be honest, if she had not been comfortable with it, we would have dropped the subject immediately.

Rule #1 of being a book editor - take care of your author.

During the call - I swear this is true - Rebecca told me that Wedge was her FAVORITE SW CHARACTER given her connection to the books.

And now we were asking her to consider killing him 😅

LOL you can't make this stuff up.

When the *thought* first came up the first thing I did was call author Rebecca Roanhorse to discuss what she thought about it story wise and her comfort, if it came to that.

(Because, historically not all #StarWars authors have been treated *kindly* by readers for killing off characters)

Not in some senseless "killing characters creates attention" GoT kind of way. As part of emphasizing the Resistance's on-going struggle and older heroes sacrificing to help the next generation eventually succeed.

You can actually still see a few small "scaffolds" of it leftover in the final book.

cover of Resistance Reborn novel - big Poe face, Rey, Finn, Leia, and Wedge Antilles

7 years ago we published #StarWars #ResistanceReborn in the lead up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

A story we've never told is that...during development, we seriously discussed + planned for whether Wedge Antilles should die.

(When he was confirmed to be in TROS that changed of course)

You could throw darts blindfolded at Partagaz's dialogue and land on a winner every time.

What a joy he must have been to write for.

Maul definitely as "Megatron circa Beast Wars" energy so it really works all the way around.

Spybot has the exact demeanor of a *really* annoying Decepticon. Phenomenal design #Maul #ShadowLord

That's my favorite Thrawn quote too!

What is your *FAVORITE* #StarWars quote?

Doesn't matter the source -- Movie, tv show, animation / live action, video game, book, comic, audio drama, VR experience, etc.

Your all-time, single, "can only take one to a desert island" quote.