Melanie Hill

I’ve also worked with a professional editor to learn more about story structure and the craft of writing scenes and put the theory into practice. This experience motivated me to become a Certified Story Grid Editor and an Associate of the Institute of Professional Editors.

 

Developmental Editing can help if you find yourself…

 

• with a story idea but no complete draft or

• with a story idea but unsure where to start or

• stuck in a story you know isn’t working or

• halfway through a draft and need help finishing or

• wanting to learn how to write a story without spending years learning by trial and error or

• lacking in confidence or full of self-doubt.

 

What is Developmental Editing?

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Developmental Editing looks at the story as a whole and focuses on its structure, and evaluates if the story works or doesn’t. If writing from an idea to a first draft, developmental editing can also ensure the ‘spine’ of the story is working and lays the foundation for further drafts right through to the final draft.

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Developmental Editing includes:

 

• Personalized Writing Plan: Everyone brings a different level of expertise to their project, so I'll assess the areas you need to work on and will tailor the calls and the writing assignments to fit you.

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• Six Months (26 weeks) of Weekly Coaching Calls: Each week we’ll review my analysis of your writing assignments, discuss your progress and make sure you’re on track to finish the first draft of your manuscript on time. I’ll answer any writing or story theory questions you have. The calls will be recorded and supplied to you so you can listen as often as you need to.

 

• Customized Weekly Writing Assignments: Within the personalized writing plan, I’ll tailor exercises based on relevant story theory to fit your needs and your current skill level. The assignments will be designed to target the areas you need and want to improve the most.

 

• Detailed Feedback on Submitted Assignments: A short feedback loop is invaluable because it speeds up the learning process dramatically. I will review each assignment and provide my professional evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. I’ll give you concrete suggestions for improvement so that you can make a quantum leap in your storytelling ability.

 

• My Promise to You: By the end of this process, you will have a working first draft of a novel. I will arrive to each call, prepared and on time.

 

Ready to Level up to get what you want?

 

Developmental Editing is not for the faint-hearted. It’s designed to help you by…

 

• analysing a masterwork in your story’s genre not only to learn from a masterful story writer but to learn story structure. This is a vital part of the learning process and cannot be skipped over. Once you understand how stories work (globally and at the scene level), you’ll begin writing assignments. Each client begins with a six-month block of weekly sessions. After that time, you can choose to extend the training in three-month increments.

 

• submitting weekly writing assignments every week for three or six months with a “ground up” focus. This is geared toward writers who do not yet have a finished working manuscript. You might have a story idea only, be in the process of writing a book, or have a draft that doesn't work.

 

• our weekly calls will hold you accountable because you’ll submit weekly writing tasks to reach your writing goals, grow your self-editing skills and complete your work. This is an intense program (expect to dedicate 8-10 hours per week), so if you truly have a goal of creating a professional first draft in six months, you'll need to be prepared to write consistently, in high volume, and to a deadline.

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Investment AUD $5,200

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Service includes:

• 26 One-Hour Weekly Sessions

• Personalized Learning Plan

• Customized Writing Assignments with Feedback

• Recorded Lesson

• Help Choosing Your Masterwork

 

Monthly fees are payable in full before the coaching calls begin. Weekly calls are one hour. Additional fees will be charged for each additional half-hour (or part thereof).

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If you're ready to amp up your storytelling or have any questions click below to ...