Thorns

Hmm, my apologies if I somehow gave the impression that writers don't need editors. I think we basically agree, but the main difference between our arguments is that I don't think it's possible or worthwhile to spend creative energy trying to find unconscious bias in your own work, since you'll almost certainly get it wrong. Instead, showing it to other people (primarily editors and friends for the redrafting process, then critics and the wider public once released) will inevitably reveal your biases. It's at that point, in my opinion, that the decision to become complicit in prejudice or work to avoid it is made.