Developmental Editing
The developmental editing I offer for fiction studies the big-picture of your story or novel: plot and subplot(s), character development and arcs, themes and motifs, point of view, tense, tone and voice, and so forth. It does not include line editing or copyediting, though it may examine text closely in order to reveal strengths and weaknesses. It requires less time than line editing—a story can often be read and evaluated in a matter of days, a novel in a week or two.
Line Editing
Line editing examines closely the creative elements of your text, not to be confused with the more technical aspects of a copyedit (grammar, punctuation, syntax, etc.), and moves beyond the developmental editing stage by addressing the style, word choices, tone and “voice,” description, action, tension and conflict, dialogue, and other key elements. This takes the longest amount of time and therefore is the most expensive but worthwhile form of editing.
Coaching
I assist other writers with the process of writing, from establishing a sound writing practice, to muscling through a first draft, to coping with the stress of a revision and editing, to understanding the submission process and inevitable rejections. Most of it is done through a Slack channel or email. I work with novelist, short story writers, memoirists, and authors of narrative nonfiction and creative nonfiction.