5 questions with fiction-writing coach Kati Rynne
Who's this? Why, it's a woman on a mission, of course!
As the title of this post states, Kati Rynne is a fiction-writing coach — as well as an experienced fiction editor, among other arts-based things. (And yes, there’s a difference between a fiction coach and an editor, even though in cases it may be subtle.)
So, if you’ve been wondering for a while if an editor is for you, or if you’ve been staring at the same 300 pages for several years and now can’t make head nor tail of it, checking out the following insightful interview is essential reading.
Another reason I wanted to do this piece: I’m sick of hearing derogatory things towards fiction editors; usually from amateur writers who have had a bad experience, or writers who are pissed-off with the constant stream of rejection letters coming through the door / via email. I suppose some people might think that sounds strange coming from a writer who has been rejected numerous times, but here’s the thing… although I suspect that on the odd occasion there may be grounds for these opinions, generally I think that it’s ignorance at the core of it. What’s more, if you haven’t actually had the help of an editor, how can you form a valid opinion?
And just for the record, last week I took the plunge and sent 3 chapters of my own rough (3rd to be completed) novel to Kati, and she did a sterling job with them. So don’t think this is just me saying Kati can do the job: she really does know what she’s doing, and best of all, she’s a friendly voice at the end of the telephone — not just an email in your Inbox!
