What to Expect: Welcome, Overview, Introduction, and More...
What's in store?
Well, just about everything I can come up with to help indie authors get their books into great shape. Be it your first or thirtieth, there is always something more to learn about romance arcs, magic systems, universal story structure, and SO much more!
First and foremost, story structure and craft!
Nothing is more important than having a great story, and nothing can make up for having a weak one. Starting with the foundations of what makes for a good story, and what makes a good story great, will always be the primary focus of Hart Bound Editing.
-Structure: Length, order, arrangement, and more!
-Setting: Where, when, blocking, world-building, and more.
-Characters: Development/arcs, likability, consistency, chemistry, dialogue, and more.
-Pacing; Hooks, momentum, variety, reader engagement, and the like.
-Style; POV, narrative voice/device, tension, theme/message, emotions, readability, showing vs telling, and more.
Secondly, tips, tricks, and advice specifically geared towards macro editing, both self-editing and working with professionals.
It’s one thing to learn and apply good story skills in the planning and drafting stage, and something else entirely to look at the same concepts as an editor. In fact, some writers never get further than the end of draft one because the ideas and skill which they put all the hard work into becoming familiar with in the first stage look like a completely different beast in the second, and they don’t know how to proceed. However, I believe editing is easy and productive to learn if you just have a good approach, and love to help others learn to share my passion.
-Challenges: overcoming blocks, developing faster and more effective processes, etc.
-Organization: Checklists and exercises.
-Mindset: Perspective and research.
I’ll also do my best to be a solid team member in your corner when it comes to knowing your industry competition.
What do you need to know beyond the creative and revision processes? What about everything around working with professionals, needing covers and formatting, and, perhaps scariest of all, getting people to give your book a shot? I will do my best to help you indie writers not feel like you’re going into the stages beyond developmental editing blind, and collect wisdom from other professionals and peers in the industry to light your path forward towards long-term Indie author success.
-Genre: Overviews and what’s currently hot.
-Industry Info: pulling aside the curtain around all things editing, and going deep into the different kinds and the people doing them.
-Peer Research: genre-relevant bestseller studies, author interviews, and more!
That's the gist of things!
It is my goal with the Hart Bound Editing blog, podcast, and general muchness to help indie fantasy authors end the rewriting cycle, make sure their story will satisfy readers, and set them up for long-term success by helping them fix up the skeleton of their story through developmental editing.
Having helped dozens of authors make their good stories great, spent many years learning exactly what makes a story shine, and knowing that I thrive on bringing my niche skills and knowledge to the table to share with others, I hope for nothing more to help you change your world through your stories, both for you readers and for your own. As I stand at the beginning of my own path pursuing this goal, I can’t yet know exactly what each step will look like, but I am deeply excited and hope you’ll all come along for the ride!
What now?
So, are you ready to learn more about story structure and craft, macro self-editing, and what being an Indie author is like? Are you ready to imagine how your stories could make a positive difference in your world, learn the skills needed to do so, and learn from experts who will help you on your way? Then follow along wherever works best for you, and start BEING an author that writes great stories, not just good ones, and has the power to change lives through a book.
~Rebecca
If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or lost in the self-editing process, I’d love to help. As a developmental editor, it is my passion to help struggling authors see exactly what they are nailing, and what they aren’t, to get out of endless rewrites and save all that time, energy, and DIY expense. If you’re ready to get expert, detailed, and specifically tailored feedback on HOW to improve your story to satisfy fans without losing anything that makes it unique and beautiful, book an introductory call with me today!
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See you next time!
