DEAR SIMON

Your questions answered by a publishing expert.

- BY SIMON VAN BOOY

DEAR SIMON,

It is received wisdom that a writer should not try to do everything at once. In other words, don't get bogged down editing while still in the process of drafting. But what would you say to a writer who needs to tinker with language on a microlevel in order to find the voice of their project?

—Brett in Philadelphia

Dear Brett,

What a difficult, but brilliant question to tackle. Firstly, let me say that not only do I feel it's impossible for a writer to do everything at once—it's also impossible (I believe) for a writer to do everything with one book.

It's perfectly normal for a writer to enjoy tinkering at every stage of the writing process, because there's an enormous amount of creative satisfaction in manicuring the prose.

But when it comes to a novel, tinkering with language can sometimes be a way for an author to keep busy while avoiding the structural issues that must eventually be addressed.