I took time off.
I needed time off.
I took time off from writing.
I took time off from editing.
I took time off from proofreading.
I needed that time off.
My brain needed a break.
My mind needed a sabbatical.
It’s time to get back to work, though.
I’m ready to edit.
I’m ready to write.
Bring me all the things.
I’m ready.
There is a story in all of us. Sometimes that story is fictional; sometimes it is a detailed account of a life plagued by pain and anguish, but we all have a story to tell. We all have something to say. I cannot tell your story for you, but I can help you tell it better.
As your Developmental Editor, my job is to help you, the writer, develop your literary piece into something your intended audience can’t put down. If your readers are not chomping at the bit for something more from your pen by the time they finish your book, I haven’t done my job. There may be a drastic need such as substantive editing, but that’s another topic for another day.
My role in assisting in the development of your book is to walk with you, chapter by chapter, toward the ultimate goal of putting together a masterpiece. Everything is not for everyone, but my job is make sure the audience you want to reach is left satisfied.
I’m here to help you work on character development. I’m right here to help you recognize and fix plot holes. I’m here to help you pull it all together and package it up nicely.
I will never take away your voice. You are the storyteller. I am the editor. We will work together to make that voice sparkle. We will work together to make yours a bestseller.
The title of this post has nothing to do with the TV show The Voice, then again, it has many things in common with it.
Lot’s of people like to use the quote by Oscar Wilde about imitation. They love this part: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…”, but you rarely see the complete quote. Here you go:
Writing is indeed an art form. It is about speaking from the heart. As an editor, I know of all the different genres of writing. I know about fantasy, poetry, science fiction, mystery, biography, etc. What I also know is that regardless of your chosen genre, your voice – the voice of the author – must never be lost. It must never be taken away.
When I am charged with editing the work of an author, I take special care to make sure that the work product is error-free. I take just as much care in making sure that the writer’s voice shines through brightly. I’m not there to take away your dialect. I’m not here to take away the way you want your message to come across.
What I am here to do is make sure the words are spelled correctly and that punctuation is proper. I know, I know – that sounds a lot like proofreading. It is. Scrivener Shine Edits provides solid proofreading services, but for editing, my job doesn’t stop there. I look for flow. I look for readability. I look for continuity. I look for syntax. I provide honest, tactful feedback. What my writers do with that feedback is entirely up to them, but I would be remiss not to give the benefit of what I know about the industry.
Readers must stay engaged. Readers must feel that they are there with you. Readers must be able to drop into your story without having to stumble backwards to find their place.
If you’re looking for an editor who cares about your voice, you’ve found her. Let’s talk about your needs. Let’s get it done.
Recently, I had the privilege of editing a book for a most pleasant client. Editing is not easy work and not every client is willing to accept feedback and advice. I will be the first to say that as a Developmental and a Line Editor, I grade hard. I fully believe that if you have a message to share, it should be shared without error. I know that English is not everyone’s thing, but it’s mine. That’s why I pour my whole heart into my work.
If I was to come back as a reincarnated object, it would be a red pen. I’ve always been a stickler for grammar and spelling so I guess that makes my calling as an editor a good one.
I provide editing services to prepare a book for publishing, whether it’s done the traditional way or through self-publishing. In either case, my eyes are the ones hired to find and correct errors. The writer trusts me to make sure that readability, continuity, grammar, and punctuation are all in order. I take that responsibility seriously. My greatest concern though, is making sure that my writer is presented in the best light. I want their message to come across clearly. I don’t want to see any errors in the finished product. I also find great pleasure in working on books that will help the next person along. Hustle Under Pressure: Awaken the Hustle in You to Survive Uncertain Times is a perfect example of that.
Times are hard. Times are hard on many, many people. COVID-19 is manhandling the world. People have had to find alternative ways to make a living and/or to make ends meet. In this book, Mrs. Burks offers 111 ways to get your hustle on. This is one you don’t want to miss. You will learn to hustle! I learned so much while editing for her and I can’t thank her enough for the opportunity to serve her needs.
Head over to Amazon to get your copy. There’s something in this book for everyone. Whether you want to start a brand new career, looking for a lucrative second job, or just want to try your hand at something new and different, this is the book for you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
One of the greatest sources of enjoyment for me in my profession is editing.
English has always been my “thing”. I have always loved reading and writing.
At a very early age, I learned that through reading, a person can go anywhere. I mean ANYWHERE! Through the pages of books, I’ve traveled to London, Egypt, and even to the moon.
During the same period in my childhood, I learned that through writing, I could do the same thing. I could go anywhere. I could also become anyone. I could change every single thing around me by putting words on paper.
I learned to weave a story together with some poorly drawn images to keep myself entertained. My poor parents must have grown so weary of me running back and forth in the living to show them my latest and greatest creations.
I was keen at noticing errors in some of the books I read and I also found myself doing something rather odd for a child my age. I found that even before I knew the formal definition of the word “plot”, I knew if one had been thought out thoroughly. I didn’t know what it was called, but I could tell you if it was off.
Today, I take pride in guiding my writers in the right direction with plot, theme, setting, genre, and any other way I’m able to be of service. It is part of what makes being a Developmental Editor so exciting to me. There are many, many good storytellers out there. There are exceptional writers out there. Sometimes, they just help with developing the thing as a whole. That’s where I come in. My purpose as your Developmental Editor is to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement in your literary creations.
I am also a Line Editor. I am a grammar fiend. I not only help the writer develop the story, I exam the piece line-for-line on the hunt for grammatical issues. Nothing is more distressing to me than getting into a story, but finding it is filled with grammatical errors. Misspelled words and horrid punctuation make me sad. To be honest, they make me mad.
Contact me for your editing needs. Let’s get your story out there.
Be forewarned: this blog post is not (all) about writing and editing.
Listen, this thing is, to say the least, eye-opening. The virus, the quarantine, the blame-games, the politics – all of it has served as a major wake-up call.
As adults, we’ve all been under the weather at one time or another. I would venture to say we’ve all had the flu or some other crud that has knocked us off our feet for a few days. This, though, is whole new animal.
COVID-19 is kicking our behinds. When I say it’s kicking our behinds, I mean it’s kicking our behinds. Look at the map:
Take a look at the CDC website for the latest information on the spread of this deadly virus. People are dying. As of the writing, Italy has taken over China in the number of fatalities related to COVID-19.
People, we have a limited number of hours on this planet. Whether you’re living under self-quarantine or there is a mandatory quarantine in your case, use the time to reset, regroup, and to recoup.
Reset – I have a whole new respect for the self-employed, especially since I am one of them. I’m using this time to reset my own rules of operation to be more proactive in the event that assignments slow down like they have recently.
Regroup – I’ve decided to add a number of groups to the customers I service. I don’t proclaim to be the super nova of writers and editors, but I am good at what I do and I plan to expand my portfolio.
Recoup – I believe people should use this time to recoup from the rat race. Read a book, spend some much-needed time with the kids, walk the dog, sit by the water – do something that requires nothing more than your presence.
Here we are on the cusp of a brand new decade. To say I’m ready is the understatement of the day, week, month, year, and millennium. The past 10 years have been HARD.
I lost my mother in 2015. I’ve shared before that my mom did not have a formal education. She didn’t complete the 10th grade before she had to go to work building railroad ties. She was widowed and had given birth before she was 15.
Traditional school — classes, homework, field trips, etc. — was not a part of her “schooling”. Whatever she learned in this life came through hard knocks. She passed those valuable lessons on to us, her children, but she also made sure that we all received the “book” learning she never did. I have her to thank for my master’s degree. I have her to thank for my love of reading and writing. I have her to thank for my desire to make Scrivener Shine Edits a success.
In 2017, I lost my 41-year old nephew. I have written two very important pieces about his death. My purpose for writing them was two-fold: I need others to understand how grief and mourning can impact the bereaved, and I need people to know the difficulty of moving forward after the death of a loved one.
The first one can be found at http://coffeehousewriters.com/where-did-he-go/. It was published on January 1, 2018, shortly after he passed. I was so desperately lost.
The second one can be found at https://medium.com/@treaseshine/68-800-640-seconds-ago-a4c14dc28c5f. I wrote that one on December 18, 2019. I am still lost.
Read them. Feel them.
Finally, in 2018, I experienced the heartbreak of a lifetime. I refuse to give that thing any more opportunity to demolish my soul, so I won’t go into detail but know that out of the ashes come sometimes comes goodness. I’m good. I’m better for the deceit. I’m better for the manipulation. Another human being single-handedly killed my spirit, but I promise, I’m better for it.
Every day is new. Every day is a blessing. We get to start over. It just happens that we are at the beginning of a new decade. We have the opportunity to do big stuff. We can do that stuff on our own terms.
My goal is to work through 20 things in 2020 that will bring my soul joy. One of them is to grow Scrivener Shine Edits into the success I know its meant to be. My mission is to write for the benefit of others. My mission is to make sure other businesses are successful in their presentation. My mission is to help other businesses prosper.
See you guys on the other side.
It’s Monday, y’all! Throw that blanket back and work that business! Let’s get on it and have a productive week.
I’m ready to write, I’m ready to edit.
Contact me so I can help you with all your writing and editing needs.
I am an editor for the online publishing house, Coffee House Writers. I started there as a content writer in June 2017 and still create content for them occasionally. Shortly after I started writing for CHW, I was offered the opportunity to become an editor for the publisher. The offer was very unexpected and once I got off the call with the CEO of the company, I screamed and did the happy dance. My dreams were coming true.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday night when the familiar Gmail “ding” notified me of an email from the CEO of Coffee House Writers. When I tell you guys I did some big time screaming when I found out that I had been selected as Editor of the Month for October, believe that. It’s always a good thing when you’re recognized for your work. Being recognized for doing work that you love is something totally different.
I have always taken pride in my writing, but this piece about my nephew’s death on December 9, 2017, is extremely special to me. He left this world at the age of 41 as the result of heart attack, and losing him was the catapult I needed to form Scrivener Shine Edits. Following his example, I made the conscious decision to do what I love and to live my life to the fullest. My passion for writing and editing has become my full-time work. None of us have a minute to waste – start doing the things that bring you joy because your time is always shorter than you think.
I realize that writers and editors come a dime-a-dozen, but finding one whose passion is working the trade from the heart is not always easy. In my mind, the written word is your presentation to the world. You don’t always get the chance to shake hands with a potential client. You won’t always have the opportunity to verbally tell people what you do and how you can do it for them. What is written about your company is, in effect, that handshake. Showing off your business’s ability to meet the needs of potential clients is my business.
I am proud to offer SEO copywriter services, editing services (line editing and developmental editing), ghost writer services, proofreading services, and content writer services. Let’s get together and get your business in front the people who are looking for you. The virtual world is the playground on which you’ll find a plethora of new business. Let’s go!
Scrivener Shine Edits, L.L.C. 