Developmental Editing: A Holistic Approach

Beneath the situation of every narrative, there is a deeper story, waiting to be revealed. As a developmental editor, I will help you draw out this “story beneath the story” – the story emerging from your text that is usually much richer, deeper, and more compelling than what you may have thought you were writing. I will help you find the underlying coherence in the chaos, the most riveting moments in the rubble, and to re-envision your narrative and its possibilities.

At the same time, I will always uphold your vision for the project as sacred. I listen carefully, ask questions, and reflect back your own brilliance. My goal is to help you bridge this gap between the story in your head and the story being communicated on the page. This looks like providing insights and practical suggestions around how to follow the heat, strengthen voice and character development, reorient structure, maintain narrative tension and momentum, and dig deeper into the emotional stakes of the story.

Turn to me once you’ve already pushed a project as far as you can. Maybe your manuscript has been stashed in a drawer for years and you’re unsure how to reengage with the material. Or maybe you’ve been writing & writing & writing, and now you’re feeling utterly lost. Or maybe you’re still early into the first draft of a project, but need feedback and guidance to move forward. I’m the editor to reach out to when you’re giddy, ready, and maybe even a little desperate to reimagine your project and find its beating heart.

My background is in creative nonfiction and fiction, specifically memoirs, essay collections, experimental nonfiction, novels, and hybrid concoctions. I am especially interested in lyrical prose, voice, stories from multiple perspectives, and psychological elements of narrative. As a somatic practitioner-in-training, I am passionate about helping authors “write from the body” to make characters and stories come to life in a more intimate and visceral way. I am most drawn to projects concerned with gender, sexuality, trauma, illness, social justice, family, queerness, and art, as well as projects that are experimenting with form and pushing the limits on how stories can be told.

I provide edits on full manuscripts, and often encourage working in batches of 50 pages at a time. This allows the author to share any questions or feedback as a “collaborative recalibration” that helps me refine my understanding of the author’s vision before moving forward. (Also, you’d be astonished at how much can be gleaned from 50 pages alone!) I also provide developmental editing services for short stories, essays, or other prose works. I’m not able to offer feedback on poetry projects, but I am available for coaching.

Feedback is provided in the form of margin comments, an extensive summary letter, and 1-on-1 conversation – all of which focus on drawing attention to core themes, metaphors, insights, and opportunities for deepening & expansion. After an initial manuscript consultation, many students work with me through a hybrid of editing and coaching services to help bring the project to fruition.