Editing and Coaching for Writers
Hello, stubborn* writers!
Welcome! If you’ve found your way here, it means you have put thought, effort, and precious hours into shaping a story with words and sentences.
Maybe you’ve typed “The End” on the last page of a completed novel and are wondering what comes next.
Maybe you’re mired in the messy middle and looking for a path forward.
Maybe you are the proud owner of a file with a hundred and three pages of various iterations of Chapter One.
Or maybe you’re struggling to find a quiet corner of your schedule to sit in a chair and put words on the page.
I too have made (and learned from) all the mistakes.
If any of these writers sound like you, you’ve come to the right place. I am a writer, poet, MFA grad, and trained developmental, line, and copy editor. I have worked through every one of the struggles I described above.
Indeed, I am the proud writer and keeper of twenty-two versions of my first chapter one. I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes you have to grit your teeth, put tape over the delete button on your keyboard (true story), and write forward. Other times, you have to trust the intuition that is telling you, “Hey! I’ve been rehashing this opening for months because there’s something central to this story/character/theme that I am trying to work out. The revelation will come if we linger right here. And the story will be stronger once it does.”
In my experience, there are countless writing tips and hacks to be found in any medium of your preference. But there are very few one-size-fits-all solutions to the problems writers face. Every writer is different. Every manuscript is unique.
I can help.
I offer my clients:
gentle and clear editorial partnership;
genuinely enthusiastic cheerleading;
compassionate accountability.
As an editor, I bring an ear honed to line-level cadence, logic, and flow as well as a keen eye for pointing out the subtle story threads that writers can pull to sharpen their own vision for their story.
I am a writer with ADHD and a teacher, coach, and parent of autistic children and young adults who learn, process, and create in neurodivergent ways. You can find out more about me here, read a quick primer on editing levels over here, or keep reading to find out more about the work I do.
*All writers are stubborn. Why else would we do what we do? Call it grit. Call it determination. But wear it with pride!
My services:
Fiction
Developmental, line, and copy edits of micro and short fiction, novellas, and novels
Coaching
Manuscript feedback
Query letters, manuscript summaries, and marketing consultation
Creative Non-Fiction
Developmental, line, and copy edits of essays and book-length manuscripts
Coaching
Book proposal editing and consultation
Manuscript summaries and marketing consultation
If you see the exact type of help you are looking for in the list above, fabulous! Use this form to let me know what you need, and I will reach out with details and availability to get your project started. If you’re not quite sure how or whether your needs fit into this list, not to worry! Send me a note and we can schedule a time to chat about your project and brainstorm some possible solutions.
I’m Claudia. I’m a writer, editor, and avid fan of literary, speculative and historical fiction. I collaborate with writers who want to sharpen the distinct vision and voice of their stories. I bring an eye for detail, a shameless love for well-crafted sentences, and a deep respect for the writer’s voice on the page to every manuscript I read. Although I am new to freelance editing, I have been writing and editing in academic, applied, and creative settings for over fifteen years.
You can read more about my background here, or check out some of my favorite writerly resources.
I love talking to fellow writers about their work! Feel free to reach out for a quick conversation about your current project and how I may be able to help. (No pressure. Just friendly writer-to-editor/writer chat!)
Hello!
