Introduction to Fiction Editing

Who is this course suitable for?

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

Course description

Structured as an overview of the subject, this 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.

What you should know after the course

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 substantive fiction editor) needs to work.

I have just completed the Introduction to Fiction Editing course and have very much enjoyed it. I found it both reassuring and challenging. I have learned a lot from doing the exercises and also from reviewing the model answers and commentaries, as well as from the contributions of others who have taken the course. The course has sharpened up some of the processes that I go through in the first stages of working on a novel, and that is benefitting my work overall. It has also helped me to identify some weaknesses that I will continue to work on.

Jude White