beginning line editing for fiction.

Ask the Editor: Line Editing During a Developmental Edit

To help editors struggling with the overlap in different types of editing, we need to revisit line editing vs developmental editing. From my inbox: “I’m a little confused about how much line editing is expected during a developmental edit. Are we expected to smooth over all of the tics in the author’s writing that might…

foundations of storytelling for writers.
|

Using other people’s characters to inspire you

Writers’ Topic: Character Inspiration Can writers get character inspiration from other writers? Using an existing character can be a good jumping off point to a new character. A student once asked, “I often find B characters in novels more interesting than the leads, yet they’re never fully developed (hence the B aspect). I wonder if…

creating classes and information products

Product mosaic marketing for freelance editors – or stop focusing on a sales funnel!

Stop Focusing on a Sales Funnel Marketers talk a lot about sales funnels, where you get a bunch of people to purchase a no-cost or low-cost item, then get them to buy a higher-priced product and so on up to your highest-priced product. Fewer people will buy your highest-priced product (thus the narrowing of the…

how to put emotions in writing

Packing emotion into a tight space

Mastering Storytelling: Emotions in Writing Being able to convey emotions in writing is a storyteller’s dream. Kate Rusby is an English folk singer-songwriter whose songs sometimes make me laugh and sometimes make me cry. I typically write and edit in long form – novels, not short stories. So I’m always interested in how writers manage…

|

How long does querying take?

Writer Question: Exactly how long does querying take? I’m often asked how long it takes to hear back from editors or agents. Maybe a writer has an agent who has submitted a proposal or a manuscript, and she’s biting her nails waiting to hear back, or she’s submitted the full manuscript of her novel at an agent’s request…