The Deep Editing Series is Back
Do you have a completed or nearly completed first draft manuscript?
Congratulations!
You're Amazing
Two hundred million Americans (81%) say they want to write a novel or screenplay. But only 10% actually do.
After I finished my first manuscript, I tried to edit it on my own. I moved or changes some of the words, but it didn't feel like the story was getting any better. So I started going to webinars and reading books until ten years later when I finally developed a method for revisions.
In 2019 I gave a year long series of workshops on revision. Since then, many people asked me to repeat the series. But we were in the middle of a pandemic that presented us with something we’d never seen before—Long Covid.
For 2023, I decided to commit the live presentations to video, so I can share them with you safely.
I am offering two ways to enjoy these presentations.
On Your Own each workshop comes with
- on a private website
- several videos you can view when it’s convenient for you
- handouts
- writing exercises.
With a Cohort of Other Writers on my schedule. This option includes
- the private website
- videos
- handouts
- writing exercises. But you also get
- three Ask Me Anything (AMA) internet meetings to go over writing exercises and to meet other writers
We’ll take a top down approach so you don’t waste your time editing words on an entire chapter you end up deleting from the project.
Title
Description
Pre-editing
Everything you need to do BEFORE you dig in to the real editing. Computer programs and apps you might want to consider
- Class starts 1/9/23
- AMA 1/16/23 11:00-12:30pm
- AMA 1/21/23 1:00-2:30 pm
- AMA 1/28/23 10:30 am-12:00 pm
Focusing the Story
Making your MS more manageable and focused by cutting the excess. Writing your synopsis
- Class Starts 2/6/23
- AMA 2/9/23 5:30-7:00 pm
- AMA 2/18/23 1:00-2:30 pm
- AMA 2/25/23 10:30 am-12:00 pm
Series
Working with “series” (motifs), themes, different story structures.
Scenes
Working with scenes/sequels, special scenes, making a ”character driven” scene, linking scenes.
POV
Choosing a POV and a Narrative Distance, causality, and Motivational-Reaction Units.
Tension
Conflict, emotion, pacing, suspense.
Dialogue
Dialogue, attribution, compression.
Setting
All six senses, visceral response, active vs. static, mood.
Action
Movement, goals, body language, subtext.
Thought
Internal monologue, back story, exposition.
Color Analysis
Margie Lawson’s Color analysis, originality, white space
Voice
Darlings, rhetorical devices
Final Polish
Word Searches, backloading, tight writing, cadence, MS conventions, submission
Questions:
C@CAlexSmith.com
(928)779-6368
C. Alex Smith started her writing career as a political blogger on the Daily Kos in 2008. She was invited to be one of three editors on a well-researched weekly blog concerning economics, politics, environmental concerns, medicine, and science. There, she cultivated far left celebrities to guest post on the blog including Robin Upton (host of Unwelcome Guests), Gar Alperovitz (author of Beyond Capitalism), Roger Rothenberger (author of Beyond Plutocracy), and Prof. Richard D. Wolff (Economic Update, The New School in NY). She was also instrumental in getting the blog reposted on several political news sites and maintained the blogs social media presence.
She moved on in 2014 to being the host of Spec Fix Pix, a podcast for fans of Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror.
After moving back to Arizona in 2018, she became a co-founder of Flagstaff Writers Connection. She continues to work for FWC to maintain their internet presence, host the local Critique Circle and Publishing Club, and to provide occasional workshops and courses on writing and the publishing industry.
Since 2008 she has been writing science fiction and alternate history. She has five complete manuscripts and three partial manuscripts. Two of her manuscripts took second place at the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest.
