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, such as:

What is the difference between a structural and copy edit? How do you keep track of your style across a whole manuscript? 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?

Kirsten Alexander – an acclaimed novelist, with career experience as a leading publishing professional – will take you through the issues at play in the process of editing your own work and what to expect when working with an editor if your manuscript is accepted for publication.

You will have the opportunity to workshop your own material, as well as discuss your progress with fellow participants. This is a chance to get your novel into the best shape it possibly can be before submitting it to agents and publishers.

Each week you will look at a short text to elucidate what is involved in the editing process, as well as real-life textual examples of how published novels have evolved during the editing process.

Editing Your Novel will enable you to develop your writing in real time with the support of 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 our Editor-in-Residence. 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.