{"id":88,"date":"2018-01-25T08:33:35","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T08:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/?p=88"},"modified":"2018-01-25T09:14:32","modified_gmt":"2018-01-25T09:14:32","slug":"doack-developmental-editing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2018\/01\/25\/doack-developmental-editing\/","title":{"rendered":"DoaCK Developmental Editing"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a three-part post regarding the developmental editing I got for my first novel<\/a> through Steve, the Novel Doctor<\/a>.\u00a0 Part 2<\/a>. Part 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My hope is by reading this you can get some sort of idea on what dev editing is and how it works to help improve your novel.\u00a0 Even though I didn’t always agree with Steve (you’ll see that in Part 2), his feedback always inspired me.\u00a0 That’s the relationship I think you should look for in a dev editor.\u00a0 If, for some reason, you aren’t clicking on that level with yours, I suggest trying someone else.\u00a0 I read a lot of Steve’s blog posts before I felt he was ‘the one;’ you may need to invest that level of research as well.\u00a0 There are lots of good editors out there, but you want one sympathetic to your story goals and interested in your story (he read the first two chapters before committing).<\/p>\n

Editorial Review for Diary of a Contract Killer<\/b><\/p>\n

The Big Picture<\/b><\/p>\n

This is mostly what you\u2019re looking for \u2013 that quantitative measure of how close to \u201cthere\u201d you are with the novel. You know what I\u2019m going to say here \u2013 that\u2019s kind of an impossible thing to provide. And here\u2019s why: I\u2019ve read dozens of novels I\u2019d have said were brilliant or nearly so; clearly better than most of the stuff that gets published. But only a smattering of those books actually found a publisher, and fewer still found any modicum of success. Alternately, I\u2019ve worked on some novels that, to me, fell notably short of \u201cthere\u201d that went on to find a sizable audience. There are just too many variables to offer any kind of trustworthy prediction about possible success. The notes that follow will outline the areas I think need the most attention \u2013 and I believe addressing those can help you get closer to the \u201cthere\u201d you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at it this way \u2013 can you write? Yes. There\u2019s a quiet confidence in your writing voice that suggests you have some natural talent. Is this a story that readers will enjoy? With some revisions, I believe there is an audience for it. However, the challenges of finding that audience may make it difficult to grab an agent\u2019s interest. Whenever writers step out and try something that doesn\u2019t have a proven track record of sales, agents find themselves in a quandary. If they love the story anyway, they might take on the author, hoping to find a way into a publishing house with something \u201cnew\u201d despite the overall concern about whether or not that thing can actually sell enough copies to make them money. But more often, when considering the manuscripts in front of them \u2013 the cool, but different \u201cDoaCK,\u201d and a half dozen genre novels that may not be as cool but are selling a ton in the market \u2013 they\u2019ll go with the one they think publishers will jump at. That\u2019s not a judgment on the quality of the writing or even the novel itself; just the realities of publishing as a business. (My own writing is similar in that it doesn\u2019t immediately tell agents \u201cthis will sell,\u201d but rather sneaks up on them and makes them feel bad that they can\u2019t choose to represent me. Heard that from three very sad\/apologetic agents on the most recent work.)<\/p>\n

This needs some work, though. Even though you can eschew a traditional narrative structure and approach by design, you\u2019ll still need something to compel readers to keep reading. Ostensibly, it\u2019s the romance between Seacay and Isabel, but there just isn\u2019t enough on the page as written to compel readers to stick around. The contract jobs are interesting and will appeal to some readers, but anyone looking for romance will instead find scattered scenes of sex, a tease of something more substantial, and a few intriguing but underdeveloped themes of longing on the part of our hero. If you can develop those aspects of the story, and build Seacay\u2019s growing love for Isabel over time, you\u2019ll have that audience\u2019s interest. I\u2019d probably just call it contemporary fiction \u2013 and not try to oversell the literary angle. \u201cLiterary\u201d is an assessment more than a genre, anyway. And it\u2019s a label that screams \u201clow sales\u201d to many agents. As written, it\u2019s definitely not a romance novel. It isn\u2019t erotica, either, though it sounds like you could almost turn it in that direction by going back to what you were originally writing. In that case, you\u2019d have an alpha male (of the highest degree) who falls for one (or two) strong female characters. This might be the direction to go, since you already have the framework for adding more scenes that ooze sex and power and (eventually) something resembling love.<\/p>\n

Okay, that\u2019s the big picture. I have a sense that your writing voice isn\u2019t quite \u201cthere\u201d yet, but that it\u2019s well on its way. The only way to find it is to keep writing, of course. Can this become something worthy of a significant audience? Hard to say. But if you enjoy writing (or feel compelled to write), I\u2019d encourage you to keep doing that no matter what this book does. I will, however, caution you to say that writing typically doesn\u2019t turn into much in the way of income. I have a few writers who are making some money (not a ton, but enough to pay a few bills and keep writing), but most are lucky to break even, at least on their first books. It really does take having a backlist before you start to see notable income, and only then if you\u2019ve managed to build a good list of readers.<\/p>\n

Discouraging? Sure. Writing is hard. Making money as a writer is harder. But both are possible if you stick to it and embrace the paradox of patience and persistence.<\/p>\n

With that, on to the more specific notes\u2026<\/p>\n

The Inner Monologue Dilemma <\/b><\/p>\n

One of the great challenges of first person narrative (particularly first person present tense) is finding the balance between inner monologue and external action\/exposition. The tendency is to overdo the inner monologue, but the result of that is exhausting the readers (often due to repetition of themes or ideas). This draft shows that you have tried to address that (whether by design or happenstance), and that\u2019s a good thing. However, you can tighten the voice even more. Here\u2019s a small example from early in the novel. You wrote:<\/p>\n

\n

She considers this for a while. I look at her as she drives, her hair is so silky I have to actively resist the urge to reach out and run my fingers through it. I\u2019m of two minds of being on my own again: I really find her distracting but I don\u2019t really want to end the distraction. Watching her think is fascinating. She\u2019s capably driving the car yet making plans for infiltration at the same time. I think, on balance, I\u2019ll be better off clearing my mind and perhaps breaking this spell she has on me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thing is, we already know Seacay is distracted by her. That\u2019s been well established in what has gone before. So every time you mention it after that, it has the effect of pummeling the reader with something they already know. The solution is to cut back the obvious and let readers intuit what they\u2019ve already learned. For example in this paragraph, you could just as easily say:<\/p>\n

\n

She considers this for a while. I look at her as she drives, her hair is so silky I have to actively resist the urge to reach out and run my fingers through it. Watching her think is fascinating. She\u2019s capably driving the car yet making plans for infiltration at the same time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This tells the readers he\u2019s entranced, curious. And readers will already make the leap to conclude that it might be wise not to be distracted. They don\u2019t need to be told.<\/p>\n

Another general thought about the narrative \u2013 Seacay describes a lot of things as \u201cthis is what I usually do\u201d in his internal monologues. I\u2019m fine with seeing some of his planning in \u201creal time,\u201d but too much preliminary analysis\/planning can steal some of the wonder of discovery from the moments when he actually enacts his plans. It\u2019s a case of telling the reader what\u2019s coming, then showing them when it happens, and if they\u2019re not demonstrably different, it feels like redundancy.<\/p>\n

Suspense and intrigue are built as much on what\u2019s not said as what\u2019s said. This applies equally to a budding romance.<\/p>\n

I have to wonder what the book would sound like in first person, past tense. I have a gut feeling it could be stronger that way.<\/p>\n

The Romance<\/b><\/p>\n

I like the tease back and forth between Seacay and Isabel. Especially the way Seacay analyzes her skills and is equally distracted by them (and her obvious beauty). But they sure do get deep fast, at least in the last chapters in Part One where she\u2019s sharing all about her backstory, without any apparent hesitation. It seems to me that trust is a rare thing for a contract killer, so I\u2019m wondering if this is believable for them. I almost wish you\u2019d use the whole first Part to tease the coming relationship. Perhaps they do fall into bed by the end of the section, but don\u2019t share all those intimate details about their lives. Leave some of that off the page early on to create more of that all-important intrigue that will compel readers. Let some mystery remain in Seacay\u2019s head\/heart, so the tug back to her becomes even more significant.<\/p>\n

BTW, \u201cIsabel as distraction\u201d is a good plot device. But maybe have less obvious mentions of this \u2013 show, don\u2019t tell. Let us \u201cfeel\u201d Seacay\u2019s distractedness, follow his eyes to Isabel, his thoughts as well, instead of saying \u201cIsabel is a distraction\u201d in so many words.<\/p>\n

Bottom line is this: secrecy is power \u2013 so wouldn\u2019t there be some of that going on even in this budding romance?<\/p>\n

Also, while I certainly can buy Seacay\u2019s \u201cno other relationship will compare to this\u201d snap judgment, based on his experience with Isabel, it\u2019s a big leap for someone who\u2019s thus far considered women to be little more than distractions. I think it can work \u2013 perhaps even better if you do what I suggest above \u2013 but it\u2019s the kind of thing that grows on you, rather than is immediately certain. At least I think that would be true. Perhaps even moreso if there are some unanswered questions \u2013 some secrets \u2013 re: Isabel.<\/p>\n

See other notes below on the romance and how to make it stronger.<\/p>\n

Seacay<\/b><\/p>\n

For someone who prefers to work alone, he sure was quick to agree to help Tessa and Isabel. I wondered if this was believable for someone who by choice, and by personality, needs to be highly protective of his choices regarding other people (especially people in the same business). He just needs to act honestly from that core of who he is for readers to trust him and care about him. Not that he can\u2019t have cracks that show he\u2019s not entirely consistent, but that he tries<\/i> to be consistent to the core truths he\u2019s embraced.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll mention this a few times, but his skillset is a bit hard to believe. Yes, in Part Three we see some imperfections and hiccups in the execution of his plans, but it\u2019s rare. It\u2019s something that will cause some readers to go \u201creally?\u201d when you want them to go \u201ccool.\u201d For example, he always seems to have exactly the tech he needs to get the job done. That can feel like a plot contrivance at times. What if he has to improvise once in a while? What if he screws up?<\/p>\n

He talks about being emotionless, but cries at chick flicks? And while I like that he develops a friendship with Tessa, I\u2019d much rather see more of it than be told about<\/i> it.<\/p>\n

Finally, I wonder about what really motivates him. We get clues that he\u2019s in it for the thrill, the job itself, and he talks about all the money. But we don\u2019t see him really using that money, apart from the costs of the job itself (which is usually funded by the client anyway) and the details about his lavish house at the end. What\u2019s his endgame? I wonder if we might benefit from more clues about that \u2013 and perhaps a few scenes showing him really living extravagantly, which would make sense considering the dollars he\u2019s raking in. Something to support that aspect of his character.<\/p>\n

A Few More Notes About the Non-Traditional Approach<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that \u201cnot much happens\u201d in a global sense in the novel. As already noted, Seacay is nearly invincible anyway, so it\u2019s almost a moot point. But it is exactly the kind of criticism you\u2019ll hear from agents or publishers. One of the issues is the abundance of \u201ctelling,\u201d too. When you give us a scene that\u2019s more immediate, you compel the reader more. Those are good. And the dialogue is pretty good, too. But it\u2019s otherwise an overload of \u201clet me tell you some things\u201d and that will wear on readers.<\/p>\n

And a Bunch of Other Things<\/b><\/p>\n

The Heart Attack Dart<\/i> \u2013 Is it a real thing? A believable fiction? Just noting this because all invented tech choices in a novel need to feel believable or readers will roll their eyes. Too many eye rolls and you lose them. Also, why doesn\u2019t he confirm the death? Wouldn\u2019t that be part of his job? Wondering if \u201ctrusting things are all good\u201d is a reasonable expectation for a professional.<\/p>\n

Chapter Naming<\/i> \u2013 I find myself often saying \u201cdon\u2019t name the chapters \u2013 you\u2019re giving too much away\u201d to writers. But I kind of liked your chapter titles. They\u2019re fun and don\u2019t reveal everything that\u2019s to come. But that\u2019s a good think to keep in mind \u2013 if your chapter title could be considered a summary of the coming chapter, it might be the wrong thing to use. You want readers to discover the plot along the way, not be told \u201chere\u2019s what\u2019s coming\u201d first. (Small note \u2013 chapter 21 reads \u201cWhy am I So Cautions\u201d and I suspect you mean \u201ccautious.\u201d)<\/p>\n

The Crude Joke in the Vent<\/i> \u2013 I wondered if that worked as written. I mean, the decision to speak it seemed almost out of character, though I suppose that was part of his plan. Still, it really stands out like a sore thumb. Wouldn\u2019t there be another way to get his focus back? It\u2019s probably fine, but it jumps out at readers as surprising, and not necessarily in a good way.<\/p>\n

Time Table<\/i> \u2013 I wonder if you can include dates (even just general ones, like season or month and year) at each Part of the novel, or chapters that occur much later than the previous ones to help readers see the passage of time more readily.<\/p>\n

Language<\/i> \u2013 You often refer to the fact that a character is speaking this language or that. This can be fine, but also, when overdone, quickly becomes a distraction. Only mention it when the plot demands and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n

The Signals<\/i> \u2013 I wonder if the story would be more interesting if Seacay and Isabel hadn\u2019t created signals to flash to each other when meeting in the future. Then there\u2019s more \u201chmm\u2026how\u2019s this going to turn out\u201d in the readers\u2019 minds and that could be a good thing. More uncertainty\/mystery is a good thing. For novels in general, and romance in particular. Again, I\u2019m just looking for natural places to add some intrigue. It\u2019s the little things like this that can make a novel stand out.<\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/i> \u2013 I wondered just what Secay wondered \u2013 was that whole thing too easy? I\u2019m fine with characters who are unusually skilled at their job, but so far things have gone pretty much without a hitch for our protag. You mentioned in your note that this isn\u2019t a traditional narrative approach to the genre (well, depending on the genre we\u2019re talking about) and that\u2019s fine. But when you have opportunity for some added tension or obstacles, you might as well take advantage of those moments. More tension means more intrigue means more reader engagement.<\/p>\n

Chapter 7<\/i> \u2013 Is that specific cocktail believable? It strains credulity just a bit, since it does all the intended things and that might be a bit too convenient for some readers. As noted earlier, we could use some errors and mistakes early on in the story to make our hero less unbeatable.<\/p>\n

Agatha<\/i> \u2013 It\u2019s rather convenient that S. has a contact with just the right equipment so nearby to where he happens to be. Just noting the \u201cplot convenience\u201d elments because too many and you get reader disengagement.<\/p>\n

Exploding Bullet<\/i> \u2013 So Seacay is an engineer of ballistics? Hmm\u2026reminds me a bit of a scene in that George Clooney movie, The American<\/i>. In fact the novel has shades of that (and maybe a touch of Mr. and Mrs. Smith<\/i> as well, without the humor). Just made me pause a bit because it\u2019s one more thing that makes him \u201cperfect\u201d and that can be off-putting. (Along with his great shooting skill, skill with women, disguise-making ability, photographic memory, etc.)<\/p>\n

Chapter 11<\/i> \u2013 This was a fine chapter, but it felt a little like \u201cfiller\u201d to me. You have Seacay and Tessa share stories, but while they\u2019re interesting, they aren\u2019t that important to the general flow of the novel, so you might have a few readers skipping ahead. They want to see what happens next. It\u2019s a pacing issue, I suppose. And it\u2019s certainly not a big deal if you keep these stories, but you already have so much detail about the current timeline \u201cjobs\u201d that your protagonist does, this will feel somewhat redundant.<\/p>\n

Chapter 15<\/i> \u2013 Would love to see more showing vs. telling here. Seacay says \u201cI am surprised how much I think about her\u201d about Isabel, but it\u2019s been three years, right? I wonder if readers are going to wish they\u2019d had a scene or chapter earlier that showed us this longing, rather than suddenly say \u201cI think about her a lot\u201d once three years has passed. Maybe we need a small chapter before this where we see Seacay between jobs, just living his life but wondering if he\u2019ll run into Isabel around the next corner. Watching him try to have a kind of \u201cnormal,\u201d considering his job and his current love for Isabel could be interesting to readers.<\/p>\n

Chapter 16<\/i> \u2013 Not much to this chapter, really. Nearly a filler chapter. I wonder if the important bits could be incorporated into a different chapter.<\/p>\n

Chapter 17<\/i> \u2013 This is another chapter full of \u201cmaking plans.\u201d I\u2019m fine with those in general, but it\u2019s the abundance of \u201chere\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do\u201d moments that tends to drag the pacing down a bit.<\/p>\n

Chapter 18<\/i> \u2013 The second half is very \u201ctalky,\u201d which could be an issue, but I do like the fact that Seacay begins to ponder the whole \u201ctrust\u201d thing. I just thought that might be something that would have come up long ago, considering his general lack of trust (as noted earlier).<\/p>\n

Chapter 20<\/i> \u2013 I like the backstory stuff here. You do repeat the \u201caverage guy\u201d theme that\u2019s already been established, as well as the \u201cI have a good memory\u201d thing, though. Also, the first kill seemed a bit far-fetched.<\/p>\n

Chapter 22<\/i> \u2013 This is a good example to illustrate what I mean about Seacay being \u201cperfect\u201d and nearly a superhero. Even when things don\u2019t go as planned (he slipped up in his planning?) he happens to have the access and skills to accomplish his goal anyway. He can tamper with meds? Hmm\u2026one more skill that shows up just in time to save the day. Here\u2019s another way to look at it \u2013 it\u2019s like Batman\u2019s utility belt in the old TV series. He has exactly what he needs (or in Seacay\u2019s case, access to exactly what he needs) just when he needs it. It strains credulity just a bit.<\/p>\n

Chapter 24<\/i> \u2013 The bartender comment \u201cI wonder how he keeps track\u201d seems out of character. Doesn\u2019t Seacay have to keep track of multiple things at once? Maybe instead he\u2019d feel a kind of affinity with bartenders? Also, you spend almost as much time on the sex scene with the two women as you do in the earlier scenes with Isabel. Seems out of balance to me. Maybe we need more Isabel on the page earlier?<\/p>\n

Chapter 25<\/i> \u2013 This seems awfully familiar to me. Most of the chapter is redundant themes and claims by Seacay. Once you get to the actual job (\u201cIt is nigh on two weeks\u2026\u201d) it starts to feel new again.<\/p>\n

Earlier\u2026<\/i> \u2013 You use the \u201cEarlier, I did this\u2026\u201d form a lot in Seacay\u2019s narrative. That\u2019s fine because you can\u2019t show everything in \u201creal time.\u201d However, an abundance of this usage can steal the edge from the narrative. If you\u2019re going back to say what he\u2019s done \u201cbefore\u201d too often, the reader starts to lost the all-important sense of immediacy that comes from the first person present tense approach. And you need that, to help with building tension.<\/p>\n

Not a Target?<\/i> \u2013 I had to wonder throughout the novel why Seacay could just get away with all of these kills, etc., without anyone targeting him. Maybe he\u2019s just that lucky? But wouldn\u2019t clients want to cover all their tracks, and if he\u2019s a loose end, he might be considered one of those tracks? Just wondering aloud on this one.<\/p>\n

Chapter 26<\/i> \u2013 It\u2019s more of the same \u201cI have a great memory\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m good with disguises\u201d braggadocio here. And maybe that\u2019s my issue with Seacay in general \u2013 he keeps repeating himself about all these skills (and tricks) he has (and uses), and that repetition starts to make him less appealing\/compelling.<\/p>\n

Chapter 27<\/i> \u2013 The painted on eyes? On the boy? A bit of a stretch again, but mostly I was bugged by the shift in narrative tone to talk directly to the reader (\u201cCome on, you didn\u2019t really think I would do such a thing\u2026\u201d). I\u2019m wondering if you even need this chapter. It\u2019s quite a bit different from the rest, though perhaps even more unbelievable. And it\u2019s gruesome, so it\u2019s going to turn off some of your readers.<\/p>\n

Chapter 28<\/i> \u2013 This feels like it\u2019s coming too late. Too much after the fact. Just show us that scene with Tessa earlier in a chapter that\u2019s more immediate. It will carry far more emotional weight that way. You can have Seacay show a hesitation there, even, if that works for him. Something to suggest he\u2019s thinking about Isabel when Tessa walks out of the shower. We could use more moment of \u201cshowing\u201d like that, as already noted.<\/p>\n

Chapter 29<\/i> \u2013 Tessa\u2019s long explanation about Isabel is really wordy and a bit on the nose. It doesn\u2019t come across as organic conversation \u2013 especially for someone who is upset. Dialogue here could be more fractured, as I would expect from someone in a near panic. The patterns of dialogue can reveal as much about the characters as the words themselves. Also, in this chapter Seacay one again manages to do everything right. Wouldn\u2019t this be a place where he might fail? That could raise the stakes a bit for the reader.<\/p>\n

Chapter 30<\/i> \u2013 A few things. I\u2019m thinking Seacay will come across as less of a heroic figure than he thinks he is, based on how he deals with Isabel after her abduction. When he says he\u2019ll wait for her to be \u201cready\u201d for sex, it sounds like the right thing to say, but it still comes across as rather self-focused. If she\u2019s been sexually abused, raped or otherwise tortured, it could be a very long time before she\u2019s even going to think about sex or that kind of intimacy. Seacay\u2019s thoughts on the matter in the story show little sensitivity, despite saying some \u201cright\u201d words. And while I was expecting the declaration of love, we need more scenes earlier to support that idea. As written, he has previously referred to her as an object of lust, even as he\u2019s mentioned how surprised he is to think of her so often. Give us two more scenes\/chapters with her. And one with Tessa to build up that complication as suggested earlier. Then when we get to the \u201clove\u201d moment, it will have been well-earned.<\/p>\n

Chapter 31<\/i> \u2013 We can add architect and builder to Seacay\u2019s list of skills here. Hmm\u2026he doesn\u2019t sound real. And Isabel\u2019s story to proclaim and explain her bisexuality? That\u2019s the stuff of male sexual fantasy, I suppose, but it\u2019s not needed in this moment. Less is more in this case, and this is a case of \u201cmore is more\u201d instead.<\/p>\n

Chapter 32 \u2013 The male sexual fantasy continues. Will it appeal to men? Some. Women? Maybe not as much. And while it was nice to get the tour of Seacay\u2019s place, it just kills the story momentum. Maybe we needed some of that earlier, if at all, though it\u2019s another bit of evidence that Seacay is The Perfect (Self-absorbed\/Self-confident) man. Some of your readers will want to be him, most will think he doesn\u2019t exist (which is true). Yes, it\u2019s a novel \u2013 in a way, a pure spy\/assassin fantasy \u2013 so going over the top is somewhat expected. But I think there are opportunities to make it a little more believable, without losing that \u201cfantasy\u201d element. Thus, all my previous comments. The ending, while again an attempt to humanize Seacay a bit (his acknowledgement that Isabel needs to feel feminine after all she\u2019s been through) comes awful fast, and in a strange way emphasizes his lack of nuance in understanding women\/love. It\u2019s kind of a \u201cduh\u201d realization that she would need some time, so for him to state it, while correct, just comes across as saying what he\u2019s supposed to say. It doesn\u2019t resonate.<\/p>\n

A Few Good Words<\/b><\/p>\n

I always like to end an Editorial Review with a few brief excerpts from the novel that I really enjoyed.<\/p>\n

\n

Setting up a really good security system is hard to do: make one small mistake and you might as well have nothing. [Just love the truth of this statement. Seacay makes a lot of smart observations. Some of those, like this one, make him an entertaining and enjoyable protagonist.]<\/p>\n

She has a very tight sweater barely buttoned together, with a loose weave that allows for intriguing peaks on what lies underneath. Sporting a short skirt that flares out at the waist, it\u2019s carefully calculated to be revealing if she bends over or spins about. She understands that half the fun in getting a present is unwrapping it; plain nakedness leaves nothing to the imagination. [Descriptions in this scene are good. Enough for readers to \u201csee\u201d but not so much that the details distract from the moment. This gives me hope that you can become a highly skilled writer of descriptive scenes with a little more writing experience.]<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may sound strange to put it this way, but you are the most warm hearted cold blooded killer I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d [Just thought this was funny. You used it again in the last chapter, I think. But I love the line.]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a three-part post regarding the developmental editing I got for my first novel through Steve, the Novel Doctor.\u00a0 Part 2. Part 3. My hope is by reading this you can get some sort of idea on what dev editing is and how it works to help improve your novel.\u00a0 Even though I didn’t … Continue reading “DoaCK Developmental Editing”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diary-of-a-contract-killer","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions\/95"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keithalanwriter.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}