It's Worth the Wait

I always make room in my schedule to provide sample edits for writers interested in seeing if my editing approach meets their requirements. And I’m a fan of writers approaching several editors in their search for one that suits them. It’s a healthy practice, and no editor will hold it against you for contacting as many as you like. It’s part of the wonderful process that is script development, and all part of bringing a top-quality product to the reader.

When a writer likes my editing approach and decides to commission me, some come in hard and fast, expecting me to begin more or less there and then. It goes without saying many are disappointed to learn that their editing slot may not become active for several months because the simple reality is that my work calendar is usually booked out into the relatively near future, with ‘relatively’ being the important term. For me, the months fly in because I’m always busy with first edits and rewrites, but the writer’s focus is honed on their work-in-progress they’ve probably been developing over the last year or so, maybe longer. In that regard, they feel the time more than I do, and the prospect of waiting ‘so long’ for the first edit can prove daunting.

That’s why I encourage writers, through my Twitter and Fb pages, to look ahead while they’re developing their early draft, so when they book an editor they have the potential wait of several months to bring their wip as far as they can before submitting. That way the wait is progressively filled, often with the writer applying tips from my sample edit to the rest of their wip.

So, dear writer, if you’re currently working on your early draft, now is the time to connect, sending me one or two chapters from your wip. Then, if we decide to work together, you won’t feel frustrated at the inevitable wait before your editing slot becomes active. Drop me a line at clearviewediting@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there.

One-Page Synopsis

 

Apart from my proven and popular three-phase editing service, I also offer a separate, affordable service to tighten and polish your synopsis down to one page. Why? Because, in my experience, many writers find it relatively easy to create a multi-point synopsis, except it often fills three or more pages, and we all know agents/publishers prefer the synopsis to be on the one page – nice and tight – with all superfluous elements taken out so pertinent plot-progression and character-arc details gain enhanced impact.

If you’re interested, send me your synopsis in a Word file, which I will read to see how much work is required. Then I’ll furnish you with my proposed fee and you can decide if you want to commission me. If we agree to work together, I’ll pull your synopsis into shape and return it to you, and you get to return it to me for another pass after reviewing it.

My details are below:

My email: clearviewediting@gmail.com

My website: https://clearviewfictionediting.com

Catch my reviews on my Fb page: https://www.facebook.com/clearviewfictionediting

A Little Green Therapy Goes A Long Way

I took a well-deserved break from work today and drove out to the wonderful Hazelwood demesne in Yeats' Country, just outside Sligo Town. It has to be one of my favourite places in the world, a rustic walking trail around a woodland peninsula on Lough Gill. It doesn't matter what time of year I visit, when the forest is skeletal in winter, flushed with green life in summer, or in the height of autumn's ochre-rich decay, it still infuses me with its magic, soothing all the hard edges developed from hours of intense focus as I edit through my working day. 

The photo above is a view from the bench at Sector 13, a peaceful spot I've come to love over the twenty years I've walked the loop. Just sitting there, breathing it in, savouring all aspects of the moment: the birdsong; the rustling leaves; glinting ripples across the water; the ever-changing shadow vista of the hill opposite; and the otherworld held within reflections, it leaves me...connected, content, and relieved of the weighty stresses of real life.

All creative souls know the benefits of taking time away from the work station, and there's no better way to do that than by losing yourself in the arms of a green therapist. Breathe deep and allow the softness of the moment hug you, for as long as it takes. Believe me, it's worth it. After my visit, I'm ready once again for the world, and hungry to get back to work.

Visit my website, or read through my blog to get a better idea of my editing approach. If you want to chat about your work in progress and having it professionally edited, drop me a line at clearviewediting@gmail.com - I'm always happy to correspond about writing and editing.