Developmental Editing
The term “Developmental Editing” can be nebulous, and there are as many scopes of that work as there are practitioners of it. In my practice, it means stewardship of your craft as a writer and storyteller, and midwifing the project upon which you are laboring. That analogy is no accident: Writing can be as gruesome and painful and rewarding as childbirth. Often, there is bodily fluid involved. And yes, we sometimes need breathing exercises.
In collaboration with a client (you), we work on the structure, architecture, arc of your stories or larger project. We develop characters you’ve introduced, cultivate that which connects, and discern between that which was important to the you, and that which is important to the story. We mine the heart of your purpose, and the emotion of your experiences, to drive the authenticity of your story, ensuring it has the impact you intend. We collaborate to create a body of work that is in integrity with you and your values.
Beyond that, we work on the craft of writing itself: What makes dialogue powerful? How do we speed up or slow down? How to we draw a reader into a scene? What’s the difference between offering them the protagonist’s experience or the experience? How does intentionally changing tense or perspective impact the work?
Do you need a Developmental Editor?
That’s a good question. And I cannot answer it for you, but I can share with you what kind of writers have benefited from our collaboration, and what some of them have to say about it.
A personal favorite of mine are the creatives that primarily send witty texts and ranting emails. Both are valid genres, as are the journal-writers, the wish-I-could-write-better-letters-writers, and those who have a story to tell, but don’t know how or where or when to tell it. The “Should I have a Substack” writers and the “I want to publish an article someday” writers and the “I want my children to have a book of memories” writers.
The Not-Really-A-Writer Writer
The I-Write-Stuff-Writer
These are writers who may already have a presence in the published world, and want to expand that presence, or improve the quality of that presence. Perhaps they have a Substack or a column, maybe they write for magazines or newsletters, or their profession requires effective written communication skills. Sometimes it is someone with an essay to prepare for publication, or a collection they want to turn into a book.
The I-Have-A-Book-Writer
Also known as the Can-I-Write-A-Manuscript-in-3-Months-Writer, (the short answer is: Yes, but it is funner if you give it more time). The project writers are a blast, because watching a creative process manifest something of size, and being a part of that journey, is deeply rewarding for everyone involved. Witnessing a book come to fruition is not distant from seeing a new life born. Humbling and inspiring.