First to Read

While on the topic of someone else's eyes, this is a good time to mention that my friend, Amber, is always the first to read my work. Throughout the editing process, seeing the story so macroscopically, over and over and over again, I think it's inevitable to eventually lose sight of the big picture - the story as a whole, whether it really works. Amber (aka Heartless Editor) does that for me, and does it ruthlessly, causing many near-hysterical hissy fits from yours truly...usually followed by a re-write a few days later, after I've settled down. Why she puts up with it I couldn't tell you, but I'm grateful that she does.