Editing Tips
From complete beginners to experienced editors, our blog has something for everyone! Learn about the different types of editing – developmental, comprehensive, line, and copy editing – and read our expert advice on editing all different types of documents (including business, creative, and academic).
Narrative Structure: What Are the 7 Basic Plots?
Narrative Structure: What Are the 7 Basic Plots?
Oct 21, 2022
Often, the aim of narrative theory is to identify common plots that are used in many stories. One of the most well-known attempts in recent years is Christopher Booker’s 2004 book The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. In this book, Booker proposes that any story will follow one of seven different plots: Understanding […]
Narrative Structure: What Is In Medias Res?
Narrative Structure: What Is In Medias Res?
Oct 14, 2022
Starting a story in medias res is a common technique that authors use. If you’re a creative writing editor, you should know how this narrative structure works. In this post, we’ll explain what in medias res means and how you can use your knowledge of this technique to assess your client’s writing. What Does In […]
Narrative Structure: A Guide to Freytag’s Pyramid
Oct 05, 2022
If you’re a fiction editor, understanding narrative structure can help you assess your client’s work. One of the more common ways of conceptualizing narrative structure is Freytag’s Pyramid, which we will look at in today’s post. Read on to find out more about Freytag’s Pyramid and how to use it when editing. What is Freytag’s […]
Common Fallacies (and How to Fix Them)
Oct 01, 2022
Logical fallacies are deceptive or false arguments that use faulty reasoning to shift the direction of a discussion away from the main point. Whether you’re writing a critical essay or having a heated discussion with your neighbor, being aware of logical fallacies can help you build stronger arguments and establish credibility. As an academic editor, […]
Narrative Structure: The Hero's Journey
Sep 28, 2022
For anyone who edits creative writing, understanding narrative structure can be extremely useful. There are many different ways of conceptualizing narrative structure, but one of the most common is known as the Hero’s Journey. In this post, we’ll explain what the Hero’s Journey is and how you can use it when editing your client’s work. […]
What Is an Executive Summary? (And How to Edit One)
Sep 21, 2022
If you’re a proofreader or editor who specializes in business writing, you’ll need to know how to edit an executive summary. An executive summary is a short overview of a business document that outlines the basic topics covered. In today’s post, we’ll explain executive summaries in more detail before giving you some tips on how […]
How to Proofread and Edit an Academic CV
Sep 15, 2022
If you’ve worked with professional CVs before, you may feel prepared to proofread and edit an academic CV. But there are some important differences between professional and academic CVs that you should know about. In this blog post, we give a brief guide to the content and structure of an academic CV and set out […]
The Inverted Pyramid in Journalism
Sep 14, 2022
The inverted pyramid is a handy tool used by journalists and business writers to structure their work. Understanding the inverted pyramid and how it’s used will help you to edit this form of writing. In this post, we explain the basics of the inverted pyramid so that you can use it to help assess your […]
How to Use the 5 “W”s (and 1 H)
How to Use the 5 “W”s (and 1 H)
Sep 01, 2022
The five “W”s are a principle widely used in journalism and copywriting, so they are worth understanding if you want to edit these types of writing. In this post, we’ll set out the basics of the five “W”s and how you can use them as an editor. What Are the Five “W”s? The five “W”s […]
Common Clichés (And How to Avoid Them)
Common Clichés (And How to Avoid Them)
Aug 10, 2022
Part of your job as a proofreader or editor is to help your client avoid clichés in their writing. This will involve highlighting overused terms and phrases and suggesting less clichéd alternatives. But to do this, you’ll first need to know what clichéd language is and how to spot it. This is where our guide […]