Authors and Editors

Because I'm still working my way through my manuscript and making revisions notes that will likely be illegible later on, my time is limited today. So, and considering what part of the writing process I'm currently in, and with apologies to my Esteemed Editor whose opinion I really do value and rely on, I offer the following:

Erle Stanley Gardner, writing to an editor:
"It's a damn good story. If you have any comments, write them on the back of a check."

Henry James, after being asked to cut three lines from a 5,000 word article:
"I have performed the necessary butchery. Here is the bleeding corpse."

I laughed out loud at this, but really, three lines? Geez, just think what he would have said if somebody'd asked him to cut 5,000 words from a novel!

Now off to do a little necessary butchery myself....


ETA: Diane Peterfreund has written a really funny blog post over at Romancing the Blog. I had to skim it (revisions - but I needed a break!), and heheheee! I'll have to be sure and get back to it later.