i'm up to 140 out of 151 on the re edit. i hope this is it. the editior should lookit over, point out the mistakes and send it back.
interestingly, i just came across this line.
her heart fluttered and slammed in her chest.
now i know, my editor would be saying her heart can't flutter and slam at the same time.
why?
because i had a line where the hero is floating in mid air out her window, his cloak flapping like hands clapping. she told me (i'm guessing proconsuls is a woman, for no reason whatsoever) that if he is floating his cloak isn't flapping, though she liked the line.
i gotta admit, i caught that line the first time i read it. so who is right? how much creative writing can an author do without alienating readers?
it's hard to say, and note the focus of that question. it's not about art, or rules, it's about the reader. who is buying the book. who ultimatly decide the sucess or failure of the book.
you could be the next shakespeare, and ifno one buys your book, good luck getting published again. you could be a horrbile writer, and if people like the book, you've got it made. look at all the hack writers on the NY best selling list. most of them are great, but every so often there's one who makes you wonder how they got published.