Courses: Instructor-Led
Instructor-led classes begin and end on specific days and have weekly assignments with instructor feedback. The assignments have deadlines and the classes include forum participation but you don’t have to be at a particular place at a particular time to participate in the class.
Instructor-Led Curriculum Plan
- Begin with the instructor-led classes Beginning Developmental Editing for Fiction, then Intermediate Developmental Editing for Fiction. (See links to upcoming classes below.)
- Additional instructor-led courses help you round out your developmental editing knowledge. Dig into Editing For World-Building and Setting, Editing for Plot and Story Structure, and Editing for Character Development (among others).
- Finish with Advanced Developmental Editing for Fiction, where you will edit a full manuscript under the supervision of an experienced editing instructor.
All instructor-led clases can be applied toward your Certificate in the Developmental Editing of Fiction, but you will need to take some additional classes. Click here for more information about the certificate program and click here to apply.
Naked Editing Book Club – the full year (September 2022 – August 2023)
Save the hassle of enrolling in the Naked Editing Book Club each month and sign up for the year ahead of time – and save $135.
Marketing Challenge (May 23 – June 30, 2022)
In this marketing challenge, students will spend the first week (May 23 – 31) refining a marketing plan, deciding on their priorities, and figuring out what marketing tasks they need to use to achieve them. The instructor will give feedback and make suggestions on each plan. She’ll also share her own plan. Then, starting June…
Editing Short Stories and Novellas (June 6 – July 3, 2022)
In this new, four-week, instructor-led class, students will learn the developmental editing of short fiction and novellas. We’ll discuss: Basic expectations for the various types of short fiction, ranging from flash fiction up through novellas. How DE differs when it is applied to short fiction and novellas as opposed to full-length novels. Strategies for editing…
Advanced Developmental Editing for Fiction (June 6 – July 31, 2022)
Eight weeks, instructor-led, intermediate/advanced level. You’ll perform a complete, actual edit of a full-length fiction manuscript. The instructor will provide a class manuscript for you to work on or you may use a manuscript of your own (for example, a client’s project or a friend’s work) instead. Please do just get the author’s permission to…
Editorial Toolkit: Coaching Writers (July 6 – Aug 2, 2022)
Editorial Toolkit: Coaching Writers is a four-week, instructor-led course designed to help you get started in offering coaching as a service to writers. Coaching can be a lucrative addition to your menu of services and can be a great way to help writers who are not ready for a developmental edit, who are stuck at…
Naked Editing Book Club
In this ongoing class, we’ll use published novels to talk about story development/developmental editing. Each month we’ll read and discuss a new novel, just like any book club – but with a twist. We look at everything from a developmental perspective: What (if anything) is going wrong developmentally? What might we suggest the author do…
Beginning Developmental Editing for Fiction (Sept 12 – Oct 9, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led. This highly popular class is meant for anyone interested in working with novelists to help them tell better stories. We’ll discuss the basics of developmental editing (what it is and isn’t), the specifics of developmental editing in fiction (for example, the types of problems and judgments calls you run into with fiction),…
Editing for Plot and Story Structure (Sept 14 – Oct 11, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led, intermediate level. Plot and story structure (also called narrative structure) are the big-picture elements of storytelling that we might call “what happens” and “the framework within which the plot (what happens) is shown.” Authors (and editors!) sometimes think there is only one type of story structure to use, based on a three-act…
Editing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Sept 19 – Oct 16, 2022)
In this instructor-led, four-lesson class, we’ll discuss the basics of the developmental editing of science fiction and fantasy novels. The class covers: basic conventions of the genre (reader expectations)—what to do when authors violate these and how to tell when they have why the “what if?” matters and how to encourage the author to ask…
Intermediate Developmental Editing for Fiction (Oct 10 – Nov 6, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led. This highly popular class is meant for anyone interested in working with novelists to develop their work. The instructor strongly recommends taking the Beginning Developmental Editing for Fiction class before attempting this one, even if you have some developmental editing experience. The two classes are meant to work together. In this class, we’ll cover…
Editing for Character Development (Oct 12 – Nov 8, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led, intermediate level. In a well-written novel, the characters – especially the main character – will seem like real people who engage the reader’s attention if not the reader’s empathy. Authors often need our help in figuring out what to do about flat characters or unengaging protagonists. The character must face obstacles to…
Getting Editorial Work from Book Publishers/Packagers (Nov 7 – Dec 11, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led. This highly popular class is meant for editors with some experience who would like to branch out from working primarily with indie authors. The information and assignments are meant for both copy editors and developmental editors. Face it, much as we love working with indie clients, sometimes what we’re looking for in…
Editing for World-Building and Setting (Nov 9 – Dec 13, 2022)
Four weeks, instructor-led, intermediate level. Though writers and editors have borrowed the term “world-building” from the science fiction and fantasy genres, creating a believable story world is important for any author writing fiction in any genre. This class shows how developmental editors can help authors create story worlds the reader will happily enter into—not just…
Coaching for Editors and Writers (3 hour package)
Both new and experienced editors sometimes need professional guidance in the craft of editing or in growing their editing business. Jennifer Lawler, an experienced editor, offers personal coaching to help. Coaching typically takes place via phone conversations (Zoom if you prefer) or through email. Types of coaching Jennifer offers include: Developing your skills through a…
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Coaching for Editors and Writers
Both new and experienced editors sometimes need professional guidance in the craft of editing or in growing their editing business. Jennifer Lawler, an experienced editor, offers personal coaching to help. Coaching typically takes place via phone conversations (Zoom if you prefer) or through email. Types of coaching Jennifer offers include: Developing your skills through a…