You know what makes great writing? Really great editing. The Writers’ HQ online creative editing course will give you tools and techniques to take you step-by-step through deconstructing your work and rebuilding it, taking it from ‘hmm this is okay’ and elevating it to ‘aah this is amazing!’.

We get it. You’d rather cut your own hand off than get down to editing your work. But you have to do it because otherwise what was the point of slogging it out through the first draft?

Whether you’ve got a hurriedly cobbled-together 50,000 word first draft or a thoroughly re-written 150,000 word manuscript, to get to the next stage you need a solid plan to venture into the magical world of redrafting and editing. Guess what? We can help! Learn how to transform a rough, vulnerable, wibbly-shaped writing project into a majestic beast of a finished manuscript.

Our approach to editing isn’t just about correcting typos and tweaking sentence structure (though we do cover the proofreading process too) – this is an elbows-deep practical method of deconstruction and reconstruction to help you develop your story’s structure, narrative and characterisation right down to its fundamentals.

When it comes to writing, one size does NOT fit all, so we’ll give you a tonne of editing options and techniques to suit your personal preferences. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss and brainstorm your plot with your tutors and a small group of writers throughout, so you won’t be going it alone. And by the end of the course you’ll emerge triumphant with a solid, detailed outline plan for the redrafting process and all the resources you need to get your manuscript to the submission stage.

[NOTE: You DON’T need to have done Plotstormers I to take this course.]

AIMS

Learn how to deconstruct your story and edit the ever-loving crap out of it without wanting to hide under a rock.

Learn how to put it back together again in a better, shinier, more awesome way.

Take your current draft and bash it into submission.

OUTCOME

Emerge triumphant with a detailed, watertight plan for redrafting your story. Plus, a tonne of tools, tricks, tips and editing techniques to suit whatever kinda writer you happen to be.

ALSO GET:

• A series of online exercises and lessons to help you create a solid, watertight plan for redrafting your novel
• Techniques and advice from award-winning authors like Vanessa Gebbie, Paul McVeigh, Catriona Ward, Emma Healey and Jo Gatford.
• A huge range of different methods and approaches to suit different editing styles and preferences - building up your 'editor's toolkit' so you can continue to make progress no matter what stage you're at.
• Access to our private student Facebook group to discuss ideas, techniques and get advice from your tutors and fellow writers.
• A LOVELY little online community to keep you pepped up throughout the editing process.
• Help finding a beta reader.