Joanne E Sprott, Book Shepherd

I support your story's vision, one keystroke stroke at a time

Developmental Editing

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When NOT to Edit Your Manuscript

. . . And when to begin and/or enlist a professional editor. I read a great book several years ago, The INFJ Writer by Lauren Sapala. I think it’s good reading for all writers, regardless of their Myers-Briggs score, although those with an “N” in their score (for “intuitive) will more likely have a writing process and issues similar to the ones discussed in the book.

Self-Editing as Cop-out

The issue that struck me as an editor was Sapala’s plea to NOT fall into the trap of self-editing a section of your book when you get stuck. It does sound like a bit of a cop-out: stopping the actual progression of the story (fiction or nonfiction) and thinking that editing/refining what you’ve already written will substitute for moving on.

I know there are writers who successfully write and edit as they go. If this works for you to get you to the finish line, all good. I get the impression, though, that a lot of writers do use editing to avoid moving on. I know I have that sense of wanting things to be perfect as I go, but I’m an editor! There’s a lot of wisdom in Sapala’s advice to writers to keep going to the end of your rough draft before editing.

The Developmental Editor’s View

Also, I’ve found that it more efficient to give a developmental editor a complete draft of a story to do a manuscript evaluation. I’ve evaluated both fully written drafts and drafts in pieces with some connective description as to what will fill the gaps, but I think my service is best used for a complete draft. With a partial manuscript, I do feel like I’m not able to give a complete idea of the value of the plot all the way through. Saves money for the writer in the long run, too.

So, from both me and Lauren Sapala: Keep writing through to the end of your rough draft!

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Revealing Your Genius: The Manuscript Evaluation

I’ve worked with self-publishing authors for several years now. They often live in an isolated writing world without that traditional publisher to guide them along. They might send their finished manuscript out to friends to “evaluate” but otherwise aren’t sure if their story is a good read.

The Purpose

When I work with a self-publishing author, I begin by proposing a manuscript evaluation, which is the first step in developmental editing. This first pass gives the writer an overall idea of whether or not their story line and characters (for fiction) or topic organization and narrative (nonfiction) actually hold the reader’s interest.

The Process Compared to Copy Editing

Instead of going into sentence detail to focus on grammar and other writing mechanics, I keep my mind on reading for content and story progression. For fiction, I track characters and look for lapses in how the writer describes them and makes them behave. I also track the plot sequence to see if there’s anything that doesn’t make sense as I go along. And finally, I just get a feel for how the whole thing works (or doesn’t) for a reader. Fiction or nonfiction, I want to remain curious but not confused. There can be mystery, but the writer needs to create it consciously. Let me step fully into your story and go along for the ride (or the flight)!

The Joy of the ME

I find manuscript evaluation to be extremely satisfying work. I have my own creative writing (mostly poetic in form—keeps me from rambling), but I love being able to contribute in this way to another writer’s creation. It’s like watching a flower bloom or a child discover her own drawing skill.

I also enjoy the more mechanical aspects of copy editing and proofreading, but this work of supporting stories is just goosebumps to the extreme.

PS: Let me know when I can help you meet your geni(e)us. 🙂

© 2011 – 2024 Joanne E Sprott, Intuitive Coach