September - December 2018
Dates: Evenings (8:30-9:30 pm Eastern, 5:30-6:30 pm Pacific), September 26, October 10, October 24, November 7, November 14, November 28, and December 5. Make-up date to be announced. (We skip some weeks due to other commitments and holidays.)
Registration is now closed.
You can view a free video recording of our preview and introductory session, held on August 15 at 8:30 pm. Go to the "What's Line-editing? And How Do You Do It?" page for more information and a link to the recording. In brief, the preview will answer those questions and give you a preview of the class.
How to see the class: We will present the webinar on the widely used Zoom platform, which includes a slide presentation, a video window with one of us presenting, and a text-based chat room. It's easy to use and works on Mac and Windows computers and tablets (and, in a pinch, smartphones). All students watch and participate in the live sessions. Recordings and text chat transcripts will be available following each session to all students.
Homework and line-editing samples: We plan to give plenty of homework for those to do who want to. We will also be soliciting line-editing samples from students, or students can get longer samples line-editing for a fee. Please read our homework and samples information page to learn more.
Contributors: We could not have made this course into the rich learning experience we intend it to be without help from writers and editors who contributed sample materials showing the development of published books, or who did a demonstration of their own line-editing on samples we sent them. Read about who they are and what they contributed.
Is the class for former students of our revision classes? New students? Beginning or experienced writers? Find those questions answered here. To see what people have said about our past workshops, see our What Our Students Say page. If you have a different question, please feel free to contact us.
October 10 -- The Teachable Part 1: Learning and practicing to identify and fix specific kinds of sentence- and paragraph-level problems, such as sequence, repetition/near-repetition, and clarity.
October 24 -- The Teachable Part 2: Learning and practicing to identify and fix specific kinds of sentence- and paragraph-level problems, such as connection, run-on sentences, and clumsy phrasing.
November 7 -- Introduction to the Mysteries: Using real-life and published examples showing different editors responding to manuscripts, introduces the personal side, as editors respond based on their experience, taste, and the needs of the author.
November 14 -- The Mysteries in Practice 1: We work through another real-life sample and then apply what we have learned to samples contributed by students.
November 28 -- The Mysteries in Practice 2: More practice using samples contributed by students; students line-edit the samples ahead of time and then compare to the work we do on-screen.
December 5 -- Out into the World: A look at more examples from line-editing to published; practice work to do after the class is over; planning for a line-editing networking group and other ways to keep in touch.
Make-up Date -- To be determined.
We set up this class as a protected space in which you can feel free to make mistakes, ask questions you worry are stupid, and try out new directions; in this class, there will be no agents sitting in, no special prizes, no "opportunities to submit a manuscript," because we want you to be able to focus on the work of line-editing and on what you are learning in the class without feeling self-conscious. We plan to give you a deep look at line-editing, and opportunities to practice it, and we want you to enjoy this and be challenged by it in a good way.
You will then receive an email confirming your registration, which includes a link to the webinar. You can save that for the link, though you will also receive the link again closer to the time of the class. The confirmation email also includes Paypal payment links, and for the second step of your registration you choose the one for the option and use it to make the payment through Paypal. You do not need a Paypal account to make payment there. If you wish to pay some other way, please contact us. Once you have made your payment your registration is complete. Alumni and guests should ignore the payment request and wait to hear from us.
Frequently asked questions: If you have questions, you may find them answered on this page.
Harold Underdown and Eileen Robinson have worked together since 2008 to bring something different to aspiring authors. They have created online classes and tutorials and in-person workshops, presenting and working with writers at SCBWI conferences, recent workshops and retreats in Syracuse, Columbus, and Seattle, and an annual 4-day retreat at the Highlights Foundation. More information on our backgrounds.
Overview
We have been teaching the art of revision for years now, focusing on the two ends of the process--the big picture work writers do at the beginning, and the polishing they do at the end. Until now, we hadn't tackled line-editing, which comes in between and focuses on sentences and paragraphs. Until now, we hadn't found a way to teach it. Now we have, by breaking line-editing down into two distinct parts.
The Teachable: In this component of line-editing, editors work at the sentence and paragraph level to fix problems such as sequence, repetition, clarity, connection, run-on sentences, and clumsy phrasing. These issues can be taught and practiced, and we will do that, with hands-on exercises.
Someone line-editing must put both those parts together to be effective. Our goal is to get students started as line-editors, teaching them skills they can use on their own work and on that of others, and sending them off with additional practice and resources they can use to keep learning.
The Mysteries: Less objectively, editors bring their experience and taste to bear, asking questions, pointing out problems, even making suggestions. This part of line-editing is usually learned in-house by young editors in an apprenticeship approach. We will help students develop their own "touch" in this area, through the use of published examples to learn from and work on.
Dates and Topics Covered
Here's what to expect from the webinar:
September 26 -- Introduction and Overview: What line-editing is, and what it isn't; line-editing in the editorial process; line-editing by hand versus Word; an introduction to key resources; what to expect in the class.
As in all of our classes, you can expect a clear framework, practical examples, plenty of handouts and hands-on practice, recommended resources, and time for questions and discussion. All questions will be answered, either in class or by personal email.
Registration Process Details
The registration process is fairly simple, but it does take two steps to complete. Once you click the link to the registration page and the page opens, you will see a form. Please fill that out, and note if you are signing up as a new participant, an alumnus, or a guest. Submit the form as your first step.