Birthing Another Curated Story as a Doula
How writer-editor collaborations and friendships inspire great content creation
Introduction
I am an editor here in SYNERGY, as well as two of its sister Illumination Integrated Publications (“IIP”), ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR. Among the many pleasures and opportunities that has provided me are the wonderful relationships I have developed with other writers on Medium and being able to meaningfully contribute to their stories. Many writers do not avail themselves of the benefits of building a relationship with an editor. In order for you to understand what you can gain from such a relationship, first you need to understand what an editor does.
Carol Price describes very well what an editor does in her great stories:
That describes what an editor has time to do managing our submissions queues. I also offer my services, free of charge[1], to work with Medium writers outside of IIP regardless of where they want to submit their stories. Thus, as described in my story,
I did my usual EFL to English translation. I also suggested a new title and a subtitle, the latter of which the draft did not contain. I revised my title suggestion based on feedback from the writer and we agreed. We had much back and forth on the subtitle because the writer did not grasp the extent to which his piece actually contributed to the topic. He felt he had not conducted an “investigation,” but merely stated some facts. I pointed out that he researched the topic in order to state his facts and thus he did conduct an investigation of the subject. Then I asked him to draw a conclusion for the article based upon the research he had presented. He drafted a theory, I edited it for grammar and substance…
and we published Alexander Philip Bird’s curated story
I have contributed as editor, which includes much more than proofreading, to too many curated (nka chosen for further distribution) stories to count. Content editing includes looking at context, worrying about how different readers will receive the story, suggesting areas for further development, suggesting related topics for incorporation, etc. Sometimes I will suggest to a writer a story they should develop before they have even considered drafting it.
Today, I want to tell the story of the synchronistic and serendipitous birth of one recent curated story.
Keri Mangis, with whom I have developed a colleague-friendship on Medium, wrote this great story last week — one of her best among her always fabulous works.
My friend and fellow writer Marcus recently pointed me to a worthy quote about “meaning-making” from Viktor Frankl in his book Man’s Search for Meaning.
What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life — daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.
Realizing that much of what Keri wrote about connects to the field of emotional intelligence, I shared Keri’s story with my love and potential forever person, Libby Shively McAvoy, who is a subject matter expert in that field, and she left this comment in Keri’s story:
Fantastic points Keri! Although I do find deep peace and clarity through yoga and meditation it always helps me to have additional tools in my toolbox. I love what you said about connection, creativity, and meaning making. All of those things give us purpose and without purpose we feel empty, lonely and depressed. Sadly, I have seen a lot of folks turn to substance abuse as a result. If only they knew your thoughts it may have prevented a terrible downward spiral. I hope this goes viral beautiful soul!
One of the causes I care deeply for and write about is the destigmatization of and recovery from substance abuse. I texted Libby:
I wonder if you can connect emotional intelligence with some of her points and thus build a piece off her piece…One of Keri’s six sections is truthful, honest and open expression…And through those one builds connection, yes? Which is another section…Now I’ll connect some more dots, beyond what I first saw. You mentioned substance abuse treatment. While I say the root cause of addiction is being unaligned with soul, some say the root cause is the yearning for connection. Arguably those are two sides of the same coin…The dots I saw to be connected, from a big picture POV, are Keri talks about truthful, honest and open expression as a path to inner peace, which is much more than speaking truth. It requires self awareness and honesty too as you are speaking to. In any event, big picture, Keri’s piece has the truthful, honest and open expression point as a pathway to inner piece. As EQ is partially about those same things, EQ is also a pathway to inner peace. Keri’s next section was about connection. EQ is also a pathway to connection and thus that is another connecting the dots for a piece by you. Now back to substance abuse, many say that is about a yearning for connection. Now is it connection just to others or also connection with our higher self or soul, which connects that school if thought, which I will send you something on in a minute, with my school of thought.
Feeling inspired, Libby ran with the idea, put a tremendous amount of work (two full work days) into a first draft, and a couple days and a few exchanged drafts later, this piece emerged, which Libby published in Dr. Christine Bradstreet’s excellent pub, Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, and the Medium curators very quickly chose for further distribution:
Libby writes in summation:
It is my personal belief that substance abuse is not a choice. People who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction do not consciously choose that path. I believe that the subconscious mind chases the high and tricks them into needing the substance to feel good and avoid feeling their emotions. I feel that to achieve long-term success with recovery it is important to integrate emotional intelligence coaching, psychological counseling, a physical component such as yoga or another personal hobby or interest, and spirituality.
The combination of these practices will increase confidence, teach the individual how to properly process and express emotions, teach them personal and present moment awareness, teach them empathy and self-regulation, teach breathing techniques, and give them tools such as positive affirmations and visualization techniques which increase both confidence and self-efficacy. With these tools and the connection with like-minded support of other people I believe they would have a far better success rate at long-term recovery and living the content and joyful life they deserve.
More About Being an Editor for Illumination Integrated Publications
Dr Mehmet Yildiz offers all that want to seize the mantle a role in setting policy. Many publications shy away from accepting articles about suicide, and many of my co-editors felt we should defer to mental health pubs. I vociferously objected as I feel it is a topic that people must not fear discussing if society is to embrace mental health awareness and suicide prevention. On the same day early this year we published these two stories, from Lady Foxx and Janice Arenofsky, respectively:
Dr Mehmet Yildiz trusted me to work with the writers to ensure compliance with Medium guidelines and to do our best that no reader could misunderstand that the stories stood for suicide prevention and did not in any manner encourage anyone to kill themselves. The mark of a good editor is to be able to make changes without usurping the author’s voice. Thus, I added this first paragraph to the LadyFoxx’s piece:
Any discussion of suicide requires extreme caution. The specter of suicide has touched the lives of many and haunts both the living and the dearly departed. Thus, I state at the outset, if you start to read my story, please read it all the way through so that you do not lose sight of nor take anything out of context. This story does not glorify suicide. It abhors it and my intent and purpose are suicide awareness and prevention.
Janice writes with an irreverently humorous voice, and treated the topic of suicide no differently, and thus I added this first paragraph to her story:
While of course suicide is no laughing matter, as a humorist who happens to battle depression and thoughts of an exit-at-my-own-hands, I choose to present my true story, sincere feelings, and intents and purposes of mental health awareness and suicide prevention in an irreverent manner. That is who I am. Deal with it. Do not get upset. If you can accept such a presentation, please read on. If it will upset you, this story is not for you. If you do read and get upset, I warned you so, unlike a suicide, you would have only yourself to blame; and if you complain about me or Illumination to Medium, go f**k yourself and I will see you in heaven after my natural passing and hell hath no fury like an honest comedian scorned.
The story in which Keri had read my Viktor Frankl quote is my very personal poem and essay of suicide prevention that describes the formation of my relationship with my dear friend Andrew in 1991, who killed himself in 2006, but with whom I have an ongoing relationship with his soul.
Note
[1] I am available as a freelance book editor for hire. I edited John Cunningham’s book Win the Day, of which you can read chapters of pre-release here:
In Rama I create, with soul-energy surging through my body, inspiring me and breathing wind into my sails,
