Frequently Asked Questions
What is Developmental Edititng?
Developmental editing evaluates the “big picture” of the story and is the first stage of editing.
Genre, plot, pacing, the cause and effect trajectory of each scene, story arc, character motivation, character development, point-of-view consistency and more, are thoroughly examined.
Developmental editing offers fresh eyes and objectivity.
Through the developmental editing process, the writer begins to understand how the intended reader might perceive and digest their story as a whole.
Developmental editing does not focus on sentence structure, grammar, formatting, spelling or punctuation. Copy editors perform these tasks once developmental editing is complete.
Most writers benefit from both types of editing services.
Why do i need a writing coach?
We live in the age of information saturation and while there are many great writing workshops and online writing programs, many of them approach writers and writing through a myopic lens. Using a one-size-fits-all approach, many writers’ needs are left unmet. Instead of feeling inspired and energized, writers may feel overloaded, rudderless, and deflated. Worse of all, writers tend to lose their unique writing voice in an attempt to conform to a prescribed writing style.
Coaching on the other hand, offers personalized support to writers at every stage of the writing process, to all types of writers. Coaching serves to elevate three facets:
The writing itself
The writing method (creative process, project management and routine)
The writer (confidence, motivation, enhancing their unique voice)
Each writer is unique with distinctive needs and will benefit from customized support. From idea to outline, through securing an agent and beyond, coaching support is beneficial during each and every phase.
Writing is one of the lonelier professions and coaching offers the accountability, support and objectivity writers desire.
You’re a licensed psychotherapist, does part of your coaching involve therapy?
No, as this would not be ethical, professional or helpful. I utilize my skills as a psychotherapist to lend empathy and understanding to writers struggling with motivation, creativity, completing projects, fears surrounding critiques, and more.
My background in clinical psychology provides the effective tools and support to work around these blocks and help writers create a successful writing process, which in turn, helps improve their writing.
In regards to developmental editing, my psychology background is invaluable in helping create realistic characters with logical motivations and backgrounds.
For example, if a character’s mother dies during his childhood, this will create behaviors, fears, motivations, hopes, and desires that need to be in alignment with such a loss.
In this way, I make sure the characters and their actions, emotions and behaviors, remain consistent throughout the story and their arc of change is logical. Nothing takes a reader out of story more quickly than an inconsistency or piece of information that doesn’t add up.
I don’t want to write a book, can you stil help me with my writing?
Yes! Whether you are writing content for a website, short stories, or want to improve your writing for personal projects, I can help you reach your goals.
How long does it take you to complete a manuscript evaluation?
Depending on current demand, the time of year and the length of the manuscript, a manuscript evaluation requires about 4-6 weeks.
How long will it take to publish my book?
It can take anywhere from one to several years to publish a book. Writing a book requires a lot of patience, persistence, thick skin, determination, and revision.
The writer of Little Miss Sunshine, Michael Arndt, wrote his screenplay in three days. After his first draft, he spent a year revising it. Revision tends to be the most time consuming phase of writing. The publishing marketplace is always in flux and therefore influences how long it will take to get a book into stores.
Can you guarantee that i will be published?
Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that you will be published or wildly successful. In fact, if anyone does make that promise, consider it a red flag.
Publishing and success are dependent on several factors, many of which are outside of our control. For instance, an author may want to publish a book similar to one that was recently published. In this example, their book may be put aside until the publishers believe the timing is right for that particular book.
I can guarantee, I will help you present the most polished version of your story and help instill the confidence and motivation to persevere in this industry.
How important is developmental editing if I want to Self-publish vs using a publishing company?
If you plan on self-publishing, it is imperative to have a polished manuscript. After we work together to complete the developmental editing phase, I will recommend the next phase of editing, which is copy editing.
If you want to use a publishing company, the developmental edit remains imperative. However, it is common for publishers to request changes - even on the most polished manuscripts. Changes can include something as simple as developing a new title, to more complex issues such as changing the ending. The publishing company typically provides a copy editor to tighten up sentence structure, prose, grammar, spelling and more.
Why can’t I just use ai to help me write and edit?
You certainly can if you wish - the technology is available. However, writing is an art form, just like painting. AI generated paintings, though technically sound, simply don’t illicit the same emotions a human artist can produce. It is the same with writing.
I’m scared to share my writing with anybody, including a coach.
This is perfectly normal. When we are writing, our stories belong to us and we regard them as special, unique, and almost perfect. We may understand they need editing or tweaking, but to expose ourselves to criticism or possible rejection can be enough to stop us from writing all together.
Using a writing coach is the safest and kindest feedback you will receive. The intention of any writing coach is to improve your writing and to support the writer behind the writing.
Any writing coach that is rude, condescending, or downright mean, is in the wrong profession.
Feedback should always be provided with the understanding that it is difficult to receive - no matter how seasoned an author may be.
I love writing but I can never finish anything, can you help?
Yes! This happens to a lot of writers, especially newer writers or those transitioning from writing articles or short stories to manuscripts. While some writers are off and running at the beginning, they slow down in the middle. Others have difficulty starting but know how they want the story to end. Some writers will complete an entire manuscript but have trouble with revision.
Whatever the particular struggle, coaching can help you complete your project.
Why do you only edit the first two chapters during a manuscript evaluation?
While the entire manuscript is read and evaluated, the track-change edits are applied to the first two chapters. These edits are intended to help you see your strengths as well as the issues requiring refinement. Often, these strengths and challenges are repeated throughout the manuscript. Once they are identified, you are better equipped to tackle them during the revision process. It is also typical to submit the first two chapters to an agent, therefore, having the first two chapters in tip-top shape is best practice.
You will receive feedback on the entire manuscript in the editorial letter and will be prescribed actionable steps to take in order to get your manuscript to the next level.
Once you have your manuscript evaluation, you can determine if you want to do the next revision on your own or if you would like to continue with coaching.
If you decide you would like coaching support, you can submit pages weekly to be edited. Feedback will be provided and a weekly coaching meeting will take place to discuss feedback, concerns, and next steps.
I do not serve the following clients
Any person who is racist, sexist, ageist, homophobic, antisemitic - or harbors hate or rage against any group of people.
I do not work with material that involves rape, incest, or child sexual abuse. Though these subjects have the potential to ignite conversation, intellectual growth and healing for some - I cannot create the necessary distance from the material to be objective. I am happy to make a referral for those writing about these subjects.
How do i get started working with you?
The first step is to take advantage of my 30-minute free consultation. During this Zoom meeting, we can discuss your goals and how I might help you meet them. You can then decide if you would like to proceed.
The next step involves completing the intake form. This information will help me assess your project, timeline, and your goals.
If it looks like we will be a good fit for one another, we will proceed with payment and scheduling.