Flubs2Fixes is here and ready to help you make your manuscript shine! I’ve spent the summer doing professional development courses and webinars, reminding myself of my mother, in her teaching years, taking university courses during the summers. The professional development, learning, and growing continue.
I’ve updated my website in both look and information, as you’ll discover if you take some time and look around. Feel free to do that – I’ll be here when you get back.
New things you might notice:
- Under the heading “Why Choose Me?” I have added a page about my qualifications, as well as the standard “About” page.
- Under the heading “About Editing,” you’ll find my philosophy of editing, some posts (from my blog and from other blogs), and some editing tools. You’ll also find a listing of developmental editors that I trust and recommend, since I currently don’t do developmental editing.
- Under the heading “Resources for Writers,” I’ve divided the resources I recommend into “Online Courses” and “Groups for Writers.”
Here, on my blog, I plan to post a couple of times a month, but may pop in now and then at other times to give you a heads-up on something I don’t want you to miss.
I mentioned that you can find my philosophy of editing in the “About Editing” drop-down menu above. I’d like to get this year off to a good start by repeating that post here.
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“I want to tell you a bit about the philosophy and attitude I bring to my editing, so that you can get to know the person behind Flubs2Fixes a little better.
In the “About” section of this site, you’ll learn that I’m a writer as well as an editor, so I understand how scary it can be to entrust your manuscript to a stranger.
When I started writing, I was too nervous to show what I wrote to anyone but the closest of friends or family. I was fearful of possible criticism.
I knew that some people took classes or joined writers’ groups, but I couldn’t imagine having a virtual stranger reading and critiquing my work.
Then I learned about Emma Walton Hamilton, who was offering a writing class in the craft of picture book writing – Just Write for Kids – online. Online! I could take a class and not have to shiver and quake in front of others!
Emma’s gentle, encouraging teaching style not only taught me much about the craft of writing, but also made me feel safe enough to send my manuscript to her for a manuscript evaluation.
I admit to nervousness about reading the evaluation, but her comments were filled with insight, and the positivity and affirmation I’d found in her teaching was present in every comment and suggestion she made.
Over and over, I have been amazed at the way I’ve been able to improve my manuscripts after receiving such editorial comments. A chance comment on the side of the page can get my brain churning with ideas!
Now, I find it exciting to send a manuscript off, knowing that the feedback will help in ways I could not have imagined.
This has certainly boosted my confidence in my writing ability. My experiences in the writing community have also increased my confidence in sharing my thoughts and knowledge.
All this has, I believe, helped me to become a better editor. After having such insightful and inspiring editing assistance for my own manuscripts, I want to provide the same encouragement to my clients.
As I’ve said in the “About” section of this website, the joy of editing for me is not pointing out errors, but rather is helping another writer to learn and grow and make his/her manuscript shine.
I find that all I learn with the goal of honing my own writing also makes me a better editor.
I continue to learn and to teach — as my mother often said, we are all teachers — and I love to help my editing clients learn more about the craft of writing through the comments and suggestions I make on their manuscripts.
As my clients could tell you, instead of just writing a quick comment – “comma here” – I often add the reason there should be a comma and sometimes give a link that leads to a longer explanation.
Tied to that desire to teach is my passion for connecting people with the right resources. I often suggest resources to clients during the editing or consulting process.
And, as I learned from Emma, I try to do all this with gentleness, with humor, and with a spirit of caring for the person and his/her manuscript.“
Here’s to a great year of writing and editing and making manuscripts SHINE!