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Editing Skills for Creative Writers

w/ Angela Meyer

Revision and redrafting are essential parts of building a successful manuscript – so understanding how to edit yourself is a necessary step in learning how to write well. Editing yourself as a writer is an important skill to develop before starting out, and crucial to hone as you continue working on your manuscript.

11 October – 15 November 2022
Mondays, 6.30 – 8.30pm

 $720 /$ 612 alumni


This is a past course.

This course will teach you foundational skills, which you can use when beginning a manuscript or bring to a work-in-progress. We will also tackle many critical questions. What is the difference between a structural and copy edit? How do you keep track of your style? How do you pare things back when they are getting unruly? What should you hold on to and what should you let go? How do you best review material?

Angela Meyer – an award-winning writer as well as a leading publishing professional – will also take you through the process of working with an editor if your manuscript is accepted for publication. You will have an opportunity to workshop your own material, as well as discuss your progress with fellow participants. This is a chance to get your story and prose into the best shape it possibly can be before submitting it to agents and publishers.

Editing Skills for Creative Writers is designed for writers at any stage in their drafting process, with a particular focus on writing long-form fiction. Featuring special guests throughout the course, this is a rare opportunity to develop your writing in real time, with writing and editing experts alike, while gaining new skills you can carry with you for the rest of your career.

This program will also include the rare opportunity to have a sample of your work copy-edited by a Senior Editor from Allen & Unwin. You will work towards providing a 2000–3000 word piece, which will receive two rounds of revisions returned to you following the conclusion of the course.


Writers you'll be working with:

Angela Meyer

Angela Meyer is an award-winning writer and editor. Her debut novel, A Superior Spectre (Ventura Press), was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the MUD Literary Prize, an Australian Book Industry Award, the Readings Prize for New Australian Writing and a Saltire Literary Society Award (Scotland). She is also the author of a novella, Joan Smokes,…

Course outline

Week one:
Introduction and overall editing considerations – thinking about the voice of a piece, the point of view, tense, etc. and why you are the one to ‘author’ it.

Week two:
The big picture – looking at your work in terms of structure and story.

Week three:
The line edit – how to make the micro work for the macro, including sentence structure and rhythm, cohesive imagery, clarity of thought.

Week four:
Copy editing and proofreading – the finest details: tips and tools for spelling, grammar and making these micro-decisions.

Week five:
Being edited and working with an editor – how to incorporate feedback, make good decisions and navigate this unique relationship.

Week six:
Meet a Senior Editor and get insights into how editing works within a major publishing house. Finally, learn how to edit submission materials such as your synopsis and cover letter.

Praise for this course

“I came away from the course feeling energised about my writing and keen to apply what I had learned. Angela was very warm, open and generous in the way she shared her expertise and experience. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.” 2020

How to Book

This is a past course.