Stages of Learning How to Edit
As we learn the craft, we go through stages of learning how to edit—I’ve decided there are four stages.
When you’re first learning how to edit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the learning curve and to wonder when it would be realistic to start charging for your services. The answer is at Stage #3.
4 Stages of Learning How to Edit
- You don’t know what you don’t know. (Unconscious incompetence)
- You know you don’t know stuff. (Conscious incompetence)
- You know stuff. (Conscious competence)
- You do stuff. (Unconscious competence)
If you’re not sure what level you’re at, you’re at level 1.
Or, possibly, level 4.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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When to Give Up
It’s time for my annual rebuttal against the clouded thinking that you hear in clichés like, “Many people quit just before they’re about to succeed!” When I read or hear something like this, I always wonder, “How on earth would you know that?” Starting and building a freelance editing business is hard. It requires a
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Helping Authors Bring a Setting Alive
Authors often visualize their stories as if they were movies unreeling in front of them. This is unfortunate because it often means they focus heavily on the visual when the world of narrative offers so much more! Namely, the other four senses—sound, smell, taste, and touch. Using the FIVE Senses: Setting of a Novel Sight
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Understanding Reader Expectations & Genres
One key to identifying DE problems is understanding reader expectations, and reader expectations are closely tied to genre. What Are Reader Expectations? When I read a romance, I expect it to end happily ever after. I don’t care if you have a great idea for a heart-breaking ending. I don’t want a heartbreaking ending. I
