Course description
This course may appeal to several kinds of people:
- those who have never edited fiction but are considering doing so
- those who have edited a little fiction but would like a little guidance
- those who have edited some fiction, but want to consolidate their experience.
Structured as an overview of the subject, the course discusses some of the areas unique to fiction – plot, voice, point of view, dialogue and narrative consistency – alongside a few more general but associated topics: how to assess a manuscript, how to work on a text, critiques, synopses and blurbs.
Please note that basic copyediting knowledge is assumed.
This course can provide the novice fiction editor with a departure point to allow them to embark on the adventure that is copyediting fiction. After this course, you should have a better idea of what to look out for, what rules should be enforced and what rules a fiction author might bend or even break, and the general constraints within which a copyeditor (as against a developmental fiction editor) needs to work.
Example Curriculum
- 2 THE STORY: INTRODUCTION
- 2.1 DEFINITIONS: PREMISE, THEME AND PLOT TYPES
- Exercise 2.1: Premises
- Exercise 2.1: How did you get on?
- 2.2 GETTING STARTED
- Exercise 2.2: 'Snow White'
- Exercise 2.2: How did you get on?
- Exercise 2.2.1: How did you get on?
- Exercise 2.2.2: How did you get on?
- Exercise 2.2.3: How did you get on?
- Exercise 2.2.4: How did you get on?
- 2.3 THE PLOT: THE BEGINNING
- Exercise 2.3: Plot beginnings
- Exercise 2.3: How did you get on?
- 2.4 THE PLOT: THE MIDDLE
- Exercise 2.4: Plot middles
- Exercise 2.4: How did you get on?
- 2.5 THE PLOT: THE END
- Exercise 2.5.1: 'The Last and Longest Story'
- Exercise 2.5.1: How did you get on?
- Exercise 2.5.2: Epilogues
- Exercise 2.5.2: How did you get on?
- 2.6 CONCLUSIONS
- Exercise 2.6: Shortcomings
- 4 POINTS OF VIEW: INTRODUCTION
- 4.1 DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW
- 4.2 FIRST PERSON
- Exercise 4.2: 'The Disappearance of James H___'
- Exercise 4.2: How did you get on?
- 4.3 THIRD PERSON LIMITED
- Exercise 4.3: 'The Last Shift'
- Exercise 4.3: How did you get on?
- 4.4 THIRD PERSON OMNISCENT
- Exercise 4.4: 'The Boy who loved Death'
- Exercise 4.4: How did you get on?
- 6 CONSISTENCY: INTRODUCTION
- 6.1 PLOT, TIMELINE AND SETTING
- Exercise 6.1: 'The Key'
- Exercise 6.1: How did you get on?
- 6.2 CHARACTER
- Exercise 6.2: 'The Secret Garden'
- Exercise 6.2: How did you get on?
- 6.3 LANGUAGE
- Exercise 6.3: 'The White Beast'
- Exercise 6.3: How did you get on?
- 6.4 SERIES
- Exercise 6.4.1: 'Search for the Sage'
- Exercise 6.4.1: How did you get on?
- Exercise 6.4.2: 'Tunnel at World's End'
- Exercise 6.4.2: How did you get on?