A great author who wrote
some book about giving up arms once said,
"write drunk; edit sober." In my opinion, these are wise words to live by. Granted, I'm not encouraging every writer to down a Mojito or two before picking up the pen. Instead, I firmly believe in the power of finishing a first draft without hitting the backspace or tinkering with every sentence. The greatest accomplishment of many writers is simply
finishing a first draft. Once you've completed it,
then you can go back with a sober (or soberer) eye and start reworking your story.
But editing isn't easy. It's a long, painstaking process that can weigh heavy on the heart of an author. Which is where I come in. I'm a professional editor who works to make the editing process just a little easier for authors. After all, it is impossible to be completely "sober" and unbiased while trying to edit your own work--you need a fresh, new perspective from someone who how to get the best results from your writing (read: not your mother, your aunt-who-once-wrote-a-pamplet, or your best friend). I offer a variety of services for writers, such as:
Manuscript Critiques: I read through the entire manuscript and offer a 7 + page critique that will take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the piece, plot structure, character development, and even identify the target audience. This is an invaluable tool for writers, especially first-time novelists looking to publish or submit their work to literary magazines or competitions. I provide a
sample manuscript critique here.
Writing Coach: I work chapter by chapter with the author, providing feedback, comments and corrections where necessary. We worth together to correct all the weaknesses outlined in the manuscript critique. I even provide examples where necessary to get the author on the right track.
Standard Editing: I go line-by-line through the entire manuscript to weed out spelling and grammar mistakes. This involves more proofreading than actual content editing or restructuring.
Ghostwriting: I will provide ghostwriting services for any job specifications. In the past, I have done ghostwriting for the second edition of a memoir. I can ghostwrite single chapters or full projects.
These services are available not only for novels, but also for
scripts and
screenplays. If you interested in learning more or have questions, feel free to contact me at
morganhufstader (at) gmail.com.
