Date: 2021-Present
Type: Webnovel/novel
Summary: A wuxia-inspired fantasy in which a protagonist who lacks any magical ability must survive a world full of dangerous magic using his wits.
Below the Heavens was my first foray into the world of editing, and continues to be my longest-running project. It’s an ongoing wuxia-inspired fantasy webnovel; the first volume has since been published as a physical novel.
Wuxia is a Chinese genre that features chivalrous protagonists fighting evil and righting wrongs with physics-defying martial arts. Below the Heavens is a modern twist: in a world full of magic, the protagonist has none. His only goal is to return home. But the powerful Oracle sends him down a path on which he must (begrudgingly) change history, armed with nothing but his wits.
Because of the duration, Below the Heavens has taught me the most about being an editor out of all my work so far. I’ve practiced structural, stylistic, and copy editing, and developed a better sense for balancing my corrections and suggestions against the author’s voice and the story they want to tell. Along the way, I’ve polished characters and relationships, sharpened action scenes, clarified or obscured magic as the situation required, and honed the balance of fantasy geopolitics. I’ve also enhanced the story’s layers, adding depth to keep readers coming back—one of my favorite aspects of a story is when there’s more going on than initially meets the eye.
I’m honored that I was able to get my start as an editor with Below the Heavens, and I’m grateful for the author’s patience, flexibility, and feedback as I taught myself the ropes. This story was one of the reasons I enrolled in SFU’s editing certificate program in the first place—I wanted to be able to give it my best work. I’m looking forward to being able to take it to even greater heights!
Keep reading to see some examples of what I suggest and how I suggest it, as well as how I interact with an author (albeit one with whom I have a long and friendly relationship). When I make a suggestion, I often make a point to explain the reasoning behind it; while this generally isn’t necessary for copy editing, I feel it’s crucial that the author understands the thought process behind my stylistic changes, and knows that I’m not simply rewriting their story to suit my preferences.
