INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR OF BLOOD OMEN 4 (Georgian version)
Giorgi (George) Muzashvili is 17. He's always been one of my most dedicated and informed fans and after extensive conversations with him, and after he won the cover design competition for book 4, I decided to give him the chance to take on his first job as an editor/proofreader by looking through the final translated (Georgian) text prior to printing. I was nervous about it because I know it's a big responsibility for someone as young as him to take on, especially when school work needs to be taken into account. We decided on a summer schedule and Giorgi worked diligently and professionally, meeting the deadline and being on-hand at all times to talk me and the Layout Guy (Misha) through the final changes before printing. In short, I've no regrets and I'll be asking him to edit my work in future when he has time! And I've no doubt he is destined for great things, be it through his own writing or by helping other authors to get theirs just right. Read Giorgi's version of the story below.
First, you’re a fan of the Blood Omen Saga. How
did that happen?
I found about this saga back in 2014, when Sulakauri’s
Publishing House announced in July that they were going to translate the first book of
Blood Omen for Halloween. I was happy to hear it because the only contemporary vampire
book that we had in Georgian at the time was Twilight. Then my friend told me
about the book once it was published: he said he was totally obsessed with it and I naturally got more intrigued. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my own copy for another two years, when I won it as a prize for making a vampire short (movie). When I started to read, the first
thing I noticed was that it was a very unusual story- very realistic. Then I
read the second and third book that year and I absolutely fell in love with them! This book is
like a “surprise box” – you can never guess what will happen or when. And the characters: they’re not perfect and that’s one of the reasons the book is so realistic- absolutely perfect people (as well as vampires) just don't exist. An interesting fact is that the Blood Omen vampires aren’t immortal. There's so much more to say about it, but I'd rather stop here. Suffice to say,
the Blood Omen Saga is my life favourite in this genre, and not only in this genre.
Tell us something about the latest book (Blood
Omen 4). What made it different from the others? What did you like best/least?
It's my favourite part of the saga so far. It was fantastic- I couldn’t have been more excited when I finished it. I started reading in May, a very busy period of exam preparation. I started slow because I
wanted to edit gradually, but I couldn’t: once I started reading, it pulled me straight in! I was reading every moment, wherever I could, for two days almost non-stop, and when I
finished, I was sitting speechless for ages. Of course, the previous books were just as amazing as this one, but the fourth was so much more, somehow...It completely changed my attitude towards the characters- for example, I'd been “Team Danti” for more than a year and in those two days, I converted to “Team Duart”. Also, we know that Blood Omen is made up of many genres- mythology, fantasy, romance, etc. But in this book we also get to see some
elements of Sci-Fi . In a way, the 4th book reminded me a little of True Blood as well.
Well…I can’t express my feelings about this book fully but, that’s
it.
How did you come up with the design for the
cover of book 4?
When the cover competition was announced on the Blood Omen Saga facebook page, I had no idea what I wanted to do, so
I started re-reading the previous books looking for inspiration and it came to me when I was
reading book 2, you know, that dream scene where Stuart and Dea meet each other? I started thinking [spoiler here – book 3]: what if Apophis was raised? At the end of book 3 (Fulfilment), we leave Dea in the Temple alone, just before the Awakening, and the image of Dea and a snake (the Apophi symbol) popped into my mind- the two facing each other against a background of the moon – we know
that vampires hate the sun and the moon is its opposing force.
Tell us about the editing process. What were the
best and worst/hardest things about editing such a big book?
I had a lot of 'best' moments connected with the editing process- the research, for example. I even went to the library to make sure that some details were right! I spent around 3 hours a day editing, making it part of my daily routine in the
summer, and I really enjoyed it. There was no 'worst' thing
about this editing job, though I will say it was hands down the biggest responsibility that I've had in my life to date-
it was my first step into the publishing world, so I was quite nervous about it.
How did you edit? How long did it take?
I had no experience editing, so when I got the text, I
started thinking how to go about editing it. I decided to read the full text all the way through, then,
when I finished it, I started reading carefully page-by-page. I worked in the mornings, when my brain was fresh. I would typically edit 5-6
pages a day and read through them again the following day. Editing took about two months in all (I had
the text for three months but because of my exams, I wasn't able to start editing right away).
What skills are needed to be a good
Editor/Proof-reader?
The first thing is to be a “word master,” as I call it, when
you can interpret a text in many different ways. The second thing is a sharp eye, of course- being able to spot mistakes quickly. If you haven’t either of these skills,
you can work on yourself to get them.
Is it something you would consider as a career?
Why (not)?
Sure. If I wasn’t considering it, I wouldn’t have edited Blood Omen 4! It was a good first challenge for me- to make sure I really wanted to get into editing as a profession.
How does it feel to have your name on a book at
just 17?
I can’t express the feeling in words. I almost cried when I saw it. I
felt like I was in a dream.
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| Giorgi with Translator Ana Chichinadze and Author Katie Ruth Davies |
Some people might think you were too young to
take on such responsibility, that inexperience is a disadvantage. What would
you say to them?
It doesn’t matter how old you are: if you want to do something, there is no perfect time for it or any point waiting for the right time, like when you're "grown up," for example. You simply have to work on yourself and start doing it, then you’ll get some
experience which will help you to move towards your goals. If everyone always looked for people with a lot of experience, then no-one would ever find a job! Everyone starts from inexperience. I believe it's worth taking a risk and working hard to make yourself better at what you love to do.
You’re
writing your own book. Tell us a little about it. What are your hopes for that
book?
Me and
my friend just finished the first draft a few months ago and we’re editing
it right now. It’s a fantasy novel about vampires and witches, with mythological
elements and religious allegories. We want to publish it, of course, but we’re
not in a hurry. It’s something new in Georgian literature and we hope the Georgian reader will like it.
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| The two Giorgis- aspiring writers! |
What are your plans for the future?
I’m
a school-leaver this year, so I’m
preparing for the national exams. Then I want to go to uni (probably Ilia State
University, not sure yet). But I’ll definitely keep going with my editing work and when I have enough experience, I’ll start translating books as well.
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