Editing Your Own Work with Jenny Parrott

The aim of this course is to clarify the world of editing. An in-depth understanding of the process will give you the confidence to make the best choices for your work, and help you take your writing up a notch as well.

Writers at all levels are welcome, but this course will be particularly helpful to those who are well into a book or in the final stages of their first draft.

WEEK ONE – WHAT IS EDITING?

What does the term editing actually mean and why there are so many stages? We’ll discuss the ways professional editors do (or don’t) edit, as well as how authors can embrace editorial tips and tricks to extend their writing skills. We'll look at the ways readers are changing, examine the impact, and discuss how being a reader yourself can help you make smart choices. And we'll ask the question every writer has to face – what, in a single line, are you are trying to say? And how can editing ensure that message is coming across to the reader?

WEEK TWO – WHAT DO ALL GOOD BOOKS HAVE IN COMMON?

What makes an excellent, compelling story? What makes us get lost in the world of a book? What throws us out? How do we make people care about what we are saying as much as we do? It’s time to look at the way you flesh out your idea on the page. We’ll think about research, world-building, narrative development, backstories, relationships, desires, motivations and themes, helping you examine your individual process.

WEEK THREE – BELIEVABLE CHARACTERISATION AND DIALOGUE WILL (NEARLY) ALWAYS SAVE THE DAY

Good characterisation and dialogue will never make any story worse - fact! - and there are plenty of books that break all the rules but succeed simply because readers love the characters. This week we'll look at all things relating to characterisation and dialogue, and how this can (sometimes) vary between fiction and non-fiction. We’ll work out how to deepen your characterisation and make it truly compelling. And we’ll put those two golden rules of good writing - Show Don’t Tell, and Less Is More – under the spotlight.

WEEK FOUR – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VOICE

Now it’s time to take charge of the ‘voice’ of your book. Voice can mean several different things, all of which we’ll discuss, but at heart it creates the tone and atmosphere the reader experiences, and is largely responsible for the reader’s relationship with your book – how they feel while they read, and how they remember the reading experience afterwards. We’ll look at your title too, which is where a reader first encounters your voice.

WEEK FIVE – PITFALLS AND FIXES

Let's think about structure, and check you're telling this story in the optimum order. Are you starting and ending in the right place? How long are your chapters? How is the dramatic pulse of your book affected by the choices you’ve made? We’ll talk about the viewpoint, tense, protagonist, number of characters, and check everything is working together to keep readers hooked. We'll look at how writers can unintentionally fall into bad habits or unforeseen traps - being boring or disorganised, unfocused or muddled, inclined to information-dump - and how all these issues can be turned into strengths.

WEEK SIX - TOPPING AND TAILING

It's time for the final polish to present your manuscript in a way that will really make a difference to the reading experience. We’ll look at copy-editors’ pet peeves, such as spelling and punctuation, and focus on consistency and weeding out repetitions and over-used words and phrases. We'll look also at rhythm and readability to help with your line edits, and discuss how saying your work aloud can help highlight where you can push yourself a little harder. And we'll look at that final-final read through, when you’ve reached the moment you can’t improve the book any further…

This course is paired with our Publishing Perspectives Talk Series where you'll learn all about submitting your work to agents and publishers, and what happens subsequently. Publishing Perspectives runs twice a year in June and November. But feel free to register your interest with us now by emailing enrolment@writingroom.org.uk

INSPIRATIONAL

“Jenny has a wealth of knowledge and is completely generous in sharing it with us. She's positive and extremely constructive comments.
Thanks Writing Room, for organising the course, it's inspirational.”

Sue

Editing course

HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK

“I have learned more in six weeks than a whole year of another course. The classes are the highlight of my week; they give so much food for thought. Jenny is warm, witty and wise. She showers us with insights and tips to improve our work and our chances of success.”

Jonathan

Editing course

Our tutor Jenny says...

Editing can seem mysterious as a concept, but it’s inextricably linked to writing and in essence is all about making sure your writing is platformed to the best of your ability so that what you do well really stands out. Writers at all stages are most welcome as excellent writing of both fiction and non-fiction includes a firm grasp of editing your own work, although the writers who may benefit most are those who are a fair way into their books. I’m excited about helping authors see and understand what they naturally do well, at the same time as disguising any weak spots that might unfortunately snag a reader’s attention instead.