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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How to Focus on the Big Picture in Editing
One of the first things I teach newer developmental/story editors is to focus on the big picture. That means looking for problems with a novel manuscript’s plot, character development, and setting. It means noticing perspective/point-of-view problems, flabby scenes, and unnecessary exposition. It does not mean pointing out every unnecessary adverb or overused word. Don’t Overwhelm…
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Editor Insight: Shauna McIntyre
I’ve been talking with newer and more established freelance editors about how they find clients and deal with ups and downs in freelancing. This week’s editor is Shauna McIntyre. Here’s our Q&A: How long have you been freelancing as an editor? I’ve been freelance editing and writing on and off for almost twenty years but…
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What Is a Story Arc?
As a developmental editor, you need to be able to help authors understand where their plots are falling down. This means you need to trace the story arc. What is a story arc? It’s what happens in a story and why it happens. The Details: What Is a Story Arc Exactly? Of course, the what…
