I’ve hit this wall with my high school students a million times. They ask to meet with me about a paper they’re writing, and then they want to spend our whole conversation discussing where commas go in a specific sentence.
Of course I believe punctuation is important (Don’t believe me? Ask Victor Borge). But even more than that, I believe the structure of the writing has to be stable first.
Focus on the ideas. The line editing is always done last. And honestly, if the writing’s good enough, it’s okay if you still leave a little mess among your paragraphs.
Revision looks at the big picture
This is part of why I love the revision process so much. I get to look at your writing as a puzzle, and then I work to rearrange every piece of your story until the true picture you’re making is revealed. When I revise someone else’s writing, I’m working to parce out WHAT message you want to share with your audience.
Good revision might encourage you to move around paragraphs (or even chapters). It will encourage you to cut whole passages when you go on a tangent. This is how we focus on the true north star of your voice and how it can best shine in your writing.
Editing helps clean up the crumbs
Editing and proofreading are where I pay attention to HOW specific ideas are conveyed in your writing. And I get how this type of feedback feels easier to receive.
When I tell you this sentence could be worded more clearly or you’re misusing a semicolon, you’re trusting me to be the English language expert in our relationship. But if that’s the only work you want to do on your story, I know of some great online tools (like Grammarly) that you can access for free online.
There’s no real need to pay for a developmental editor if this is all you want.
Together, we make a masterpiece
As a writer myself, I know editing and revision feedback of any kind can feel scary. You have the story in your head that you want to tell, and you want to tell it your way. The work of writing (in any form) is tender and intimate and raw.
That’s why it’s so important for you to find an editor you trust and whose feedback you are willing to receive. That’s also why I work to make every step of the editing process feel like a conversation. I want you to feel like you have agency in the feedback I give you. Ask me questions. Tell me what does and doesn’t work for you. It’s how we both make each other better.
Want to learn more about how we could work together? Check out Fly Dry Editing today!