Do you ever feel like a editor is trying to take over your story?
That happened to me with my first editor, and that is why he is no longer my editor. He wanted me to change my sex scenes to what I considered pornographic descriptions of the sex act. We just stopped communicating.
Do you ever feel like a editor is trying to take over your story?
All the time! I actually often incorporate his suggestions at times, though not necessarily as he intended. The number of times I have to say 'No' (and it's always that one-word response) are uncountable.
I've kept him around for eight years. Or, rather, he's put up with me for that long!
Very occasionally, and mostly earlier on, but the places where there was strong pushback were - in retrospect - places where the story was much better off developing along different lines.
Mostly, no, but that's the editorial team that I have. They nudge and I nudge back and we hit a good line. If something I'm writing feels 'off' to people who are willing to volunteer many hours of their time to immerse themselves in it, that's important feedback.