Introduction
The way you tell your story can make all the difference.
You’ve done the hard work of crafting a story your audience will love. You’ve put your manuscript through rounds of developmental editing and revising, focusing on things like the plot, setting, and character arc.
So why is it still falling a little flat? Maybe your prose isn’t having the intended impact for any number of reasons, such as:
dialogue that doesn’t serve the story,
weak verbs that don’t add specific imagery,
convoluted sentences that pull the reader out of the scene, or
vague, unnecessary words that clutter the manuscript and create pacing problems.
The goal of good writing is to get and keep readers immersed in the story. If they are pulled out of a scene, they are likely to put the book down, which is the last thing we want. (What if they never pick it back up?)
Line editing is the level of editing that takes a strategic look at common culprits that break immersion for readers.
Scroll through the chapter headings of the course outline to see what we’ll be working on in this self-paced online course. Each lesson comes with action steps in the corresponding workbook for you to apply to your own manuscript (as well as all future manuscripts). You’ll also find practice passages for you to practice your editing skills, along with my notes on how I would edit each practice passage.
Who is this course for?
This is a foundational line editing course designed for writers of long form fiction and narrative nonfiction who want to acquire, or brush up on, the skills needed for crafting prose that grabs readers and keeps them engaged.
Read through the chapter titles to get a sense of what is covered.
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of the Course Overview page to learn more.
If you have formal training in writing, this course may be too foundational for you, though I’ve been told it’s full of good refreshers.
But can’t AI edit my manuscript for free?
Foundational Line Editing for Fiction Writers
$177.00
One time
Take your manuscript to the next level by implementing foundational line editing tips and techniques taught in this self-paced virtual course.
✓ Unlimited access for the lifetime of the course.
✓ Downloadable workbook with action steps and resources
✓ Discount for editing services
Not like you think it can. There are different kinds of hidden costs in using AI to edit your work.
The free versions of AI editors often hide some of their editing suggestions in hopes you’ll purchase a subscription to see all the results.
All of the different AI tools have been shown to be less reliable than a human at editing, giving inconsistent and sometimes downright incorrect suggestions.
Do you want to trust a machine to make decisions about your story when that machine doesn’t know your intent and goals for your story? Or do you want to learn the skills of impactful writing so you can discern good editing advice from bad—editing advice that stays true to your intentions and voice?
AI tools are trained to edit to a specific standard. This means the voice of an AI-edited piece of writing no longer sounds like the author, but like all the other pieces of writing being spit out by AI.
Many readers (including agents and publishers) recognize the signs and voice of AI. Most of those readers will stop reading at the first whiff of AI use, and some will be vocal about their suspicions, costing authors credibility and sales.
AI is a machine with no feelings. It can tell you there should be emotional moments built into your story, but it isn’t able to tell you if you crafted those moments in a way that makes them impactful to the reader. What does it cost you if your readers don’t connect with your story/protagonist?
Are you sure your manuscript will remain private and secure if you upload it into an AI program? Or have you just fed it to the LLM?
Copyright laws are still being written, but early precedents have been set disallowing works that have been largely crafted (heavily edited) by AI to be copyrighted.
Thinking in terms of a different kind of cost, AI is gobbling up staggering amounts of electricity and water each year and stamping out a concerning carbon footprint in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You have access to the content of this course for the lifetime of the course. Take as much time to go through it as you want. Feel free to go through it again later to refresh your memory when working on future manuscripts.
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Definitely not. While the course is intended for participants to apply the techniques directly to a completed manuscript, a lot can be learned by simply reading through the course.
Also, practice exercises are included at the end of each chapter, allowing students to apply the editing concept immediately.
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Due to the digital nature of the course, refunds cannot be offered. However, if you are unsatisfied with the course in any way, please use the contact button on my home page, so we can work together to resolve any concerns.
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No personalized feedback is offered on your manuscript. However, course participants receive a discount on my other services such as a First Pages Critique. This discount can be found on the “Additional Resources” page inside the course.
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Look through the course outline to see what is covered.
If your manuscripts have been getting rejected, it could be due to a line-edit problem.
If, however, you have official training in writing, such as an MFA, this course may be too foundational for your next-level needs.