#developmental grammar

[bsahely]

The Grammar of Emergence: Absence, Affordance, and the Adjacent Possible in Teleodynamic Life | ChatGPT4o

[Download Full Document (PDF)] Executive Summary Purpose This book develops and formalizes a triadic generative grammar — absence, affordance, adjacent possible — as the deep structure of transformation across life systems. It integrates insights from biological development, cognitive science, semiotics, and systems theory into a coherent model for understanding and designing emergent…

[magicalmelancholy-blog1]

I feel like a lot of time, people will ask for betas wanting developmental editing only to get copyediting in response.

[an-ruraiocht]

90% of the time when i see reviews and posts saying "this book needed editing" i don't think the reader have any idea what editing actually entails. usually this is actually code for one of several "problems" with the book:

it's too long, or it's slower paced than this reader's preference. they believe "editing" would mean making it shorter

it has a heavily descriptive style, which the reader doesn't like. they believe "editing" means paring every sentence down to hemingway-style prose with no adverbs

it doesn't follow the very rigid "save the cat" style 3-act story structure, disrupting the reader's sense of narrative tension. an editor, they believe, would've made sure it did

there were a few typos or formatting errors, and they believe it's the editor's job to catch these (it's not, it's typically the proofreader and the typesetter who have responsibility for that kind of thing)

and finally, most often:

the author had different narrative priorities than the reader, who thinks an editor would have made the author change their priorities.

the thing is, there are actually issues with editors in trad publishing being overworked to the point where things aren't getting the thorough, thoughtful editing that they need to be the best version of themselves. there are plenty of badly-structured, poorly-researched, and clumsily written books out there. moreover copyediting is typically freelance and perhaps because of that, this is the area where i see the largest number of issues: continuity issues, grammar issues, factual errors etc that someone should've spotted and didn't.

but this is not typically what people's "this needed an editor" reviews are focusing on. most often it just means they didn't like the book and they've decided editing is an all-powerful force that would have transformed it into a book they liked. but that's not how it works. and disproportionately what this comment means is that the book doesn't match what current fashions have decided is The Correct Style to write in

"this book needed an editor" if it's traditionally published, it had one. like. by definition. it was an editor who bought the book. that doesn't mean the editor did a great job but they definitely existed. there were probably at least two (acquiring editor who does the dev edits; copyeditor who does copyedits), and the proofreader, and a bunch of other people besides.

also i think people think editors are the ones who like. implement the changes. but they don't. they give comments and recommendations and ask questions and the author is the one to act on them. the editor will not rewrite the book. they will not fix the problems themselves, they will highlight the problem and the author will figure out a fix for it, or they will decide they don't agree that it's a problem and leave it as it. and a lot of the sentence-level style stuff is entirely on the author so if they don't have an ear for the rhythm then nobody's going to fix that for them. editors do a lot less than people seem to imagine they do, tbh

anyway

for reference—

structural/developmental edits: is this chapter in the right place and does the plot make sense and is the characterisation consistent and effective

line edits: is this sentence in the right place and is it as stylish as it could be

copy edits: is this sentence grammatically correct and consistent/factually correct within the story/its world and do the spellings follow the publisher's stylesheet

proofreading: are there any typos in this sentence and was the formatting preserved correctly when it was typeset

[theliteraryarchitect]

So... What Does an Editor Actually Do?

First off, “editor” is one of those words that causes a lot of confusion for writers. It seems simple—someone who works with words, right? But the truth is, “editor” can mean wildly different things depending on the context.

So, let’s clear things up.

When we’re talking about writing and publishing, “editor” usually refers to one of two roles:

1. The Gatekeeper: This is the person who commissions or selects work for a publication, like a magazine, newspaper, or publishing house. Think of phrases like “Her book was chosen by the editor at [Big Fancy Publisher].”

2. The Helper: This is the person who works directly with writers to improve their work. They might suggest revisions, clarify ideas, and polish the manuscript for grammar and style.

Both are called “editors,” but their jobs are completely different. To make things more confusing, in smaller operations (like indie presses), these roles often overlap. The same editor might choose your story for publication and offer stylistic or copyedits before it goes to print.

The 4 Types of Editing

Beyond the word “editor,” the types of editing writers encounter also vary widely, further boggling the mind. Here’s a quick breakdown of the four main types of editing your manuscript might go through:

1. Developmental Editing

This is the kind of editing I do, and the kinds of issues that are covered by the majority of my blog posts. Developmental editing:

• Focuses on the “big picture” of your story—plot, character, pacing, worldbuilding, and structure.

• Asks questions like: Does the ending make sense? Are the characters believable? Is the story too slow?

• This is the most intensive (and expensive) type of editing because it shapes the foundation of your book.

2. Stylistic Editing (Line Editing)

I don't do this kind of editing for my clients, but I occasionally publish line editing tips on this blog because I'm kind of a nerd about it :) Line editing:

• Works on clarity and flow at the sentence and paragraph level.

• Addresses repetition, awkward phrasing, and other issues that muck up your writing flow.

• Happens after developmental editing—no point polishing a scene if it might get cut!

3. Copy Editing

Once in a while I give copy editing tips on this blog, but they're usually wrong and I'm promptly corrected. Let it be known: The Literary Architect is a terrible copy editor. Copy editing:

• Focuses on technical details like spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency (e.g., making sure a character’s blue eyes don’t randomly turn brown).

• Think of this as quality control for your manuscript.

4. Proofreading

• The very last step before publication. The proofreader checks for any typos or layout issues that might have slipped through the cracks.

Whether you’re submitting to a publisher or self-publishing, editing matters. Great stories get rejected because they weren’t polished enough. And self-published books that skip editing often lose readers due to glaring errors or clunky prose.

If hiring a professional editor isn’t in the cards, learning to self-edit can help you get your manuscript into the best possible shape before publication. That way, if you do decide to bring in an editor later, they can focus on the deeper work instead of fixing things you could have tackled yourself.

Hope this helps!

/ / / / / / / / / / /

@theliteraryarchitect is a writing advice blog run by me, Bucket Siler, a writer and developmental editor. For more writing help, download my Free Resource Library for Fiction Writers, join my email list, or check out my book The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

on tumblr lot more people know about it which great! that improve life of all AAC users. but pretty much with anything disability/developmental disability space on social media (which need certain amount of cognitive/intellectual & language abilities be on even if have support), good majority you see be teen & adult people who already literate learn language via speech n write *first* n then *independently* learn AAC base on it *later*.

especially symbol based AAC, but all AAC, is new system n hard n take long time learn even when you literate & not moderately severely cognitively disabled. but also, “literate teen/adult independent learn AAC” not at all full face of AAC user community.

as in like. experience of theirs. not universal. independently motivated & able to look up different AAC options different AAC apps, compare n contrast. download app n immediately know how to use, or able figure out by self. first time use app n may be clunky n slow, but make sentence on first try. need learn AAC, but most of that learning is for where words are (if button based), how exist as AAC user in public with confidence, etc. those all valid but not true for everyone who need AAC, especially not developmentally disabled children (& some adults) with complex communication needs.

most developmentally disabled children (n some adults) w complex communication needs who need AAC, can’t just hand them tablet with symbol based AAC app or text to speech AAC app n then wait for magic. many of them developmentally delayed in way, not taught in way that fit them (e.g. gestalt language processors), n their language abilities behind peers, so they can’t read, can’t spell, can’t grammar, etc.

some of them need learn where word is not by read word, sometimes not even by understand symbol, instead is by other people press button n hear sound n associate that with meaning n location on AAC n symbol associate with it. in other words, they learning language alongside AAC.

for some their learn process look like, learn how use AAC say one word. n then much later, try make two word message, “want food” “go school.” “two word message” incredibly common goal for many these developmentally disabled children, teens, n even adults, that is something rare n truly extraordinary for that person that need be celebrated.

for others it look like learn by phrase (gestalt), then slowly break it down into smaller phrase n chunks n finally single words.

many of them babble (click random/seemingly random buttons on high tech device, stim with it, etc). but ultimately, won’t be able learn all by self. need be taught, see you accidentally spill water n crying, maybe you “feel” “sad”, n when that happen you “need” “help” from adult. need learn AAC by adults around them constantly model with it, constantly use it in conversation, show them how use. because they learning language along side it.

but also some of them don’t know what this thing in front of them (AAC… device, low tech boards or picture cards, etc) is. don’t know what communication is or you should do that. don’t know people exist who you should communicate to & with. heard many parents n SLP say they try model all time, try all kind of stuff, but child just not seem interested in it, don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t use it.

people who use AAC, not all them struggle with only speech. some them struggle with language, with intellectual/cognitive. some of them very developmentally delayed.

n some people, too disabled learn or use AAC. yeah, they exist.

for people who cannot use / cannot only use speech to be understood, AAC can be life changing. but is so much more complex thing. AAC still not as widely used n accepted n properly taught n supported as should, some parents n professionals n schools still many pushback n refuse. but sometimes answer to “have you tried AAC for them” is “yes, but they need long time n lots help to learn n we not very far yet even though spent long time on it” or “yes, but they simply not show interest even after constant model” or “god, wish can, but insurance only cover if show some amount of communication competence n ability use AAC, while only give 1 month trial, which simply not enough time” (wide spread thing that happen) or “yes. many types. it not work.”

for many AAC users & AAC user-to-be, it not as simple as “be handed AAC n check back in while they figure out by self”

[cripplecharacters]

Howdy! I’m working on a story with a side character who has mild to moderate intellectual disability from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The character really likes dinosaurs and I was considering having the character buy presents for his family members all with dinosaurs because that’s what makes him happy. But I was wondering if this would perpetuate harmful stereotypes? Any insight wanted thank you!

I was also wondering about writing his speech and how his family talk to him. I’m assuming they use simplified language? But I’m not sure what that looks like in general conversation.

Hey!

If it's not presented as child-like or "stupid" by the narrative, I have no problem with it - seems realistic to me. I know a person from who attended SPED with me who did basically the same thing (except not dinosaurs specifically and with more or less everyone rather than just family members). I also appreciate an intellectually disabled character that's shown to have some deeper characterization to them, so that's cool to see.

Speech/language/verbality is a more complicated thing. It's a really broad spectrum in the context of intellectual disability. Some people will have it essentially unaffected - either because their ID is mild, or they have a specific disorder, like Williams Syndrome, where language doesn't tend to be affected much - and some have it be very obvious. To my understanding FASD doesn't specifically affect language abilities more than 'regular' intellectual disability.

If your character has mild ID, there's a chance his linguistic skills won't affect the dialogue 90% of the time. You can have him ask another character for clarification on what they said, for example, or ask them to reword a run-on sentence because he got lost 2 clauses ago. He might have poorer intuition when it comes to pronouncing an ambiguous word for the first time (for example, not noticing the pattern that the word is built on and breaking the syllables up incorrectly). He could have a particular tone of voice (most commonly: monotone) that you could mention in the dialogue tags. But things like incorrect basic grammar or misunderstanding everyday words are not a feature of mild ID (on its own at least).

Many people with mild ID aren't "obviously ID" to most people, and that includes speech. Others can often tell something is different, but in my experience it's often chalked up to autism, [insert a random developmental condition that person happens to know], or even poor hearing (some people might talk very loudly, which is what HoH/deaf people are often stereotyped as) since the average person seems to assume that a person with intellectual disability wouldn't be able to talk at all, or they don't even consider the possibility that a person with ID could exist near them (as opposed to being in an institution).

As for how people talk to him, that's a completely separate thing. You could have a situation where a mildly ID character knows someone and they have completely normal dialogue, but then the other character learns about the other's ID, and they suddenly turn to babytalk. Is this appropriate; no, the disabled character could clearly hold the conversation previously, is this realistic; absolutely.

However, yes, your character could need other people to alter how they speak to him, especially if his ID is more severe than just mild (and as always: it's not infantilization to have your needs met). Here you have some of the most common and realistic options of what happens (I'll use much simpler sentence examples than what would actually need to be simplified for the sake of clarity):

The bare minimum. This is what happens when someone is kinda trying, but not really. Maybe they don't have the patience, maybe they just didn't think about it too much. Either way, the disabled character doesn't get the full picture and is effectively left out of the conversation. E.g.: "Oh, yesterday Zainab and I went to the club and met up with her boyfriend and his annoying older brother, we wanted to grab some drinks there, but they were just so overpriced." = "I went out yesterday."

The "don't worry about it :)". Pretty much what it says. The other character decides that the disabled character doesn't actually need to hear that; they decide that it's irrelevant for them. E.g.: "Ever since her rent increased my mother has been doing nothing but worrying sick, and she won't even let me help her out." = "Don't worry about it."

The actual simplified version. The gold standard of simplifying something is actually making the person understand what you are talking about without leaving out information, or leaving out as little as possible. Depending on the actual text, it might not always be possible (you can only get so far in simplifying scientific subjects, for example), but in terms of regular conversation you can probably accurately simplify the vast majority of things being said. An example I like to use is English Wikipedia vs Simple English Wikipedia, some of the main features are shorter sentences, more commonly used words (when appropriate), and they use fewer pronouns in favor of repeating nouns. It's not perfect, but I think it illustrates what I mean by "simplification vs baby talk".

To figure out how his family speaks to him, you need to think about who they are as people and what's their relationship to him. An impatient person might just wave their hand and keep talking even if the character asks for clarification, while someone else might automatically switch how they speak when he enters the room to make him feel included. It's also a great way to show-don't-tell what the family dynamics are towards the disabled character.

Some of the posts about ID and language speech: 1, 2.

Hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[sierrabravoecho]

I want to talk about Hodor's communication, and I'm making it your problem.

Long post below the cut!

Hodor is one of the most prominent characters with a language difference that we see in the ASOIAF books.

In the books (so far!) we get very little information on the root cause of his language difficulty beyond being told that he's "simple".

We can accept that people living in Westeros don't have the same language to describe communication disabilities and differences as we do in the modern age. Typically, it's assumed that Hodor has some form of intellectual disability (congenital or developmental disorders which [1] begin in childhood [2] affect intellectual functioning and [3] affect adaptive functioning).

That being said, the show presents Hodor's communication difficulties as acquired following a seizure brought on by Bran warging into the mind of a young Hodor.

This gives us another possibility: rather than presenting with an intellectual disability, Hodor is presenting with some form of aphasia. While it's usually best to separate show and book canon, I thought it might be fun to analyse Hodor's communication in the books through this lens.

Unlike my previous posts discussing communication difficulties in ASOIAF (x, x), I do specialise in adult acquired communication disorders such as aphasia.

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder. Aphasia is heterogenous in its presentation, and can affect people in many different ways, including deficits in:

Spoken language

Written language

Reading

Understanding the heard word

Gesture

While intellectual disability is genetic, prenatal, or early developmental, aphasia typically occurs as a result of damage to the language centres of the brain (e.g., stroke, trauma). There is an existing link between experiencing seizures and acquiring aphasia.

Another important difference between intellectual disability and aphasia is that aphasia purely affects language, and does not affect cognition. While a person who experiences a stroke may present with both aphasia and cognitive impairment, aphasia does not cause cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is a key feature of intellectual disability.

Because aphasia is such a broad term, there are many different ways through which we can categorise the types of aphasia. The most universally employed method of aphasia categorisation is the Boston Classification System, which classifies aphasias as receptive or fluent (more difficulty understanding language) or expressive or non-fluent (more difficulty using language).

As we know from the above, Hodor can only use a single word. We are also shown that Hodor is able to follow simple instructions:

Because of this, we can assume that Hodor is presenting with an expressive aphasia. I'm not the first person to come to this conclusion: this post by the National Aphasia Association also deduces that show!Hodor's communication aligns with the characteristics of expressive aphasia.

Another article goes one step further and diagnoses show!Hodor with a severe form of Broca's aphasia, a subtype of expressive aphasia.

There is a possibility that book!Hodor is presenting with Broca's aphasia. However, I'd also like to consider that Hodor is presenting with another, more severe form of non-fluent aphasia called Global aphasia.

Here's a comparison of both subtypes:

We can see based on what we have previously said about fluency that Hodor aligns more with Global aphasia. His verbal output also shows us that he aligns more with Global aphasia in terms of naming and grammar. In particular, people presenting with Global aphasia tend to use neologisms (a series of sounds which do not form a real word) more often than those with Broca's. We know from Bran that Hodor is not an existing word in the Common Tongue, and therefore is a neologism:

In terms of what we've seen above relating to comprehension, Hodor aligns more with Broca's aphasia. However, there are some instances where Hodor doesn't seem to comprehend what is being said to him:

Unfortunately, we don't have data from the books relating to his repetition, reading, and writing. The lack of data is unsurprising for the latter two given Hodor's station and upbringing.

Hodor does not seem to be aware of his communication difficulties. Typically, people with an awareness of their communication difficulties tend to show frustration when their message is misinterpreted, or make efforts to fix communication when it breaks down. In contrast, Hodor is depicted most often as smiling and genial, showing little awareness of his difference in communication.

Finally, in terms of prognosis, we see that Hodor's communication does not change over the course of the books. Hodor's first word to us is Hodor; as is his final word.

Given all of the above, I would argue that Hodor is presenting with Global aphasia. He doesn't tick every box, which isn't all that unusual - only ~ 30% of people with a diagnosis of aphasia fit neatly into the Boston classifications.

In terms of the other criteria needed in order to differentiate whether Hodor is presenting with an intellectual disability, it is difficult to fully rule these out because of the severity of his language difficulties. However, in the below paragraph we can see that he is capable of both efficient adaptive functioning and skill learning (though this is one instance, and doesn't rule out intellectual disability in the slightest):

In order to give a definitive diagnosis, we would also need confirmation from GRRM whether his communication difficulty is acquired or developmental. And in the long run, a definitive diagnosis isn't all that useful for Hodor. Diagnosis is often used as a tool to pinpoint areas where a person may benefit from additional support, or input, in order to maximise communication in a way that best works for them. As Hodor is currently locked in a cave of horrors beyond the Wall, I don't think that this is a priority for him or his support system at the moment.

TL;DR: Hodor.

[soft-dark-vintage-blog]

I think it's so fucking clever that Hozier put Jackie & Wilson and Someone New back to back in his self-titled album. I mean, they're two ends of the same situationship and depict so well the current dating culture in general. Jackie & Wilson is that needy, hopeless, lonesome state where u just really long for companionship, connection, and stability. It doesn't matter with whom, it doesn't matter where, it doesn't matter how. Every person who crosses your path seems the one because you craft an idealized version of them in your mind. On the other hand, Someone New, besides keeping partially the idealizing strangers theme, goes for a more hedonistic route. It rejects the prospect of a stable relationship that leads to the traditional path of marriage and family in favor of exploration, the pleasures of the flesh (not necessarily only sex), adventure, and excitement. Yet it gets even more interesting if you consider that the persona is the same in both songs, but in different moments of their life (we all have been in both positions at least once). It beautifully captures how the experience of being a young adult is so much different than it once was. It brings up the contemporary developmental psychology that rejects that view of adulthood as the absolute end of development. 

I particularly like to think about these songs through the concept of emerging adulthood and how, due to the cultural and economic changes of our times, the self-exploration, construction of identity, and the "not really knowing what you wanna do with your life", that is usually expected only in adolescence, stays with us for longer nowadays. We're always changing, we'll be always developing till the day we die, and developing doesn't necessarily mean going forward.

Sometimes we take a few steps back, and that's completely okay. We can be Jackie & Wilson one day, Someone New the next one and then Jackie & Wilson all over again. So in this essay, I will discuss Hozier's discography through the views of contemporary developmental psychology and the common themes with 20th century Latin American poetry…

(My grammar in English is not the best, but I swear I'm not that illiterate in my first language)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Novel Editing

Below are 4 different types of novel editing. Revising in the right order is essential if you want your book to be in the best shape possible.

Developmental Editing

Comes first.

Involves looking at the story as a whole.

Also called structural editing, or content editing.

Base components. Plot, structure, characterization, pace, viewpoint, narrative style, and tense:

Plot: Sequence of events that take the reader from the beginning to the end.

Structure: How the plot is organized. Even if B occurred after A, the reader might learn about B before the events of A are unveiled.

Characterization: How characters are represented such that we can make sense of their behavior as we journey with them through the story.

Pace: The speed at which the story unfolds. Effective pace ensures readers feel neither rushed nor bored. That doesn’t mean the pace remains steady; a story can include sections of fast-paced action and slower cool-downs.

Viewpoint: In each chapter or section, readers should understand who the narrator is—whose eyes they are seeing through, whose emotions they have access to, whose voice dominates the narrative. It also means understanding the restrictions in play such that head-hopping doesn’t pull the reader out of the story.

Narrative style: Is the narrative viewpoint conveyed in the first, second or third person? The choice determines a narrative’s style.

Tense: Is the story told in the present or the past tense? Each has its benefits and limitations.

Notes: On Developmental Editing

Types of developmental edits:

Full-novel edits in which the editor revises (or suggests revisions) that will improve the story;

critiques or manuscript evaluations that report on the strengths and weaknesses of the story; and

sensitivity reads that offer specialist reports on the potential misrepresentation and devaluation of marginalized others.

Different editors handle developmental edits in different ways.

One might include an assessment of genre and marketability; another might not.

Some editors revise the raw text; others restrict the edit to margin markup.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Developmental editing isn’t about checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Line Editing

The next step in the revision process; it is stylistic work. 

A strong sentence elevates story; a poorly crafted one can bury it.

This level of editing revises for style, sense, and flow.

Also called substantive editing or stylistic editing.

Editors will be addressing the following:

Authenticity of phrasing and word choice in relation to character voice

Character-trait consistency and unveiling

Clarity and consistency of viewpoint and narrative style

Cliché and awkward metaphor

Dialogue and how it conveys voice, mood, and intention

Sentence pace and flow, with special attention to repetition and overwriting

Tenses, and whether they’re effective and consistent

Told-versus-shown prose

Notes: On Line Editing

Types of sentence-level edits:

Full-novel line edits in which the editor revises (or suggests revisions) that will improve the line work;

line critiques that report on the strengths and weaknesses of the line craft; and 

mini line edits in which the editor revises an agreed section of the novel such that the author can hone their line craft and mimic the edit throughout the rest of the novel.

Different editors define their sentence-level services differently.

Some include technical checking (copy editing) with the stylistic work, while some do the stylistic and technical work in separate passes.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Line-editing stage is not the ideal place to be fixing problems with plot, theme, pace and viewpoint. Fixes are likely to be inelegant and invasive.

Copy Editing

The technical side of sentence-level work.

Editors will be addressing the following:

Chapter sequencing

Consistency of proper-noun spelling

Dialogue tagging and punctuation

Letter, word, line, and paragraph spacing

Logic of timeline, environment, and character traits

Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, hyphenation, and capitalization

Standard document formatting

Notes: On Copy Editing

Some editors offer line editing and copy editing together in a single pass. That combined service might be indicated by what it’s called, e.g. ‘line-/copy editing’. However, it might be called just ‘copy editing’ even though it includes stylistic work.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Novel copy editing is best done in a single pass:

When an editor works on separate chunks of text, inconsistencies are likely to slip through.

One pass of a sentence-level edit is not enough to ready a novel for publication. Final quality control is necessary.

Proofreading

The last stage of the editing process prior to publication.

Every novel, whether it’s being delivered in print or digitally, requires a final quality-control check.

What a Proofreader Does

Looks for literal errors and layout problems that slipped through previous rounds of revision or were introduced at design stage.

Authors preparing for print can ask a proofreader to annotate page proofs. These are almost what a reader would see if they pulled the novel off the shelf.

Others ask proofreaders to amend the raw text, either because they’re preparing for e-publication or for audiobook narration.

Proofreaders are more than typo hunters

They check for consistency of spelling, punctuation and grammar, but also for layout problems such as (but not limited to) indentation, line spacing, inconsistent chapter drops, missing page numbers, and font and heading styles.

The art of good proofreading lies in knowing when to change and when to leave well enough alone.

A good proofreader should understand the impact of their revisions—not only in relation to the knock-on effect on other pages but also to the cost if a third-party designer/formatter is part of the team.

Notes: On Proofreading

A proofread is rarely enough, no matter how experienced the writer. It’s the last line of defense, not the only line of defense.

Be sure to clarify with an editor what you want and which mediums the editor works with. Proofreading designed page proofs requires an additional level of checking that a raw-text review doesn’t. And some editors work only on raw text, some only on PDF, and some only on hard copy.

Proofreading is about quality control. The proofreader should be polishing the manuscript, not filling in plot holes or trimming purple prose.

PROOFREADING CHECKLIST

Author:

Title:

Prelims

Title page. The title of the book, the author’s name & the publisher are correct

Copyright page. Check that author name and date of publication are correct, and that the copyright statement is present and correct

Dedication. The spelling/punctuation style are correct & consistent

Acknowledgements. The spelling/punctuation style are correct & consistent

Foreword. The spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Preface. The spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Table of contents. Check against all chapter titles & subheadings in main text for consistency of spelling/capitalization; Check page numbers against main text

Figures, tables, maps, plates. Check against all entries in main text for consistency of spelling/capitalization; Page numbers against entries in main text

List of contributors. Check consistency with chapters in main text Are the names spelled correctly and rendered consistently (e.g. A. B. Smith, AB Smith, A.B. Smith, Alan B. Smith etc.)?

Pagination. Check that all prelim pages are numbered consecutively and correctly in Roman (i, ii, etc. unless brief specifies Arabic); Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Running heads. Check that running heads in prelims are correct and consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

Main Text

Pagination

Check that all text pages are numbered consecutively in main text

Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Check that first page of the first chapter starts on a recto (right-hand page)

Check that all odd page numbers are on rectos

Running heads

Check that running heads match chapter heads (or abbreviated forms of them)

Running heads are correct/consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

Running heads and folio numbers have been removed from landscaped figures and tables

Check that running heads have been removed from part- and chapter title pages

Chapter titles and headings (incl. subheadings)

Consistency of font, spacing, colour, size & position on page for each heading level

Check that capitalization is correct and consistent for each heading level

Check that each chapter drop is consistent

Check that space above and below is consistent within heading level

Lists

Check that spacing above and below lists is consistent

Ensure line spacing of list entries is consistent

Check that bullet style is consistent within list type

Check that end-of-line punctuation is consistent within list

Page depth

Check page depth is consistent throughout

Look out for uneven page depths on facing rectos (right-hand pages) and versos (left-hand pages)

Page margins

Is the text area consistent throughout/adequate for printing/readability purposes?

Notes and cross-references

Ensure all notes are cued/numbered consecutively by chapter or through the book

Check that the note numbers given match the in-text note markers

Check each note appears on the appropriate page; if footnotes run over to the next page, there should be a short rule above the continuation (or other indicator as given by house style)

Check any cross-references in the text to chapters, figures or tables

Highlight any cross-references that still need to be completed

Ensure that in-text citations are presented according to preferred style and can be located in the book's references or bibliography

More layout problems to look out for:

Uneven spacing and leading

Irregular indentation of extracts

Crooked lines, especially in captions and headings

Wrong or inconsistent typefaces or type sizes

Bad word breaks that might trip the reader (e.g. cow-orker, trip-od)

Widows and orphans

More than two end-of-line hyphens stacked on top of each other

Paragraph indentation (first paragraphs in a chapter or section are often not indented)

Hyphens that should be dashes (e.g. when used parenthetically/in number ranges)

Double spaces after full stops (periods)

Rogue spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs

Extracts

Check punctuation of sources

Check that extracts are set consistently (size, font, colour, position)

Query any missing acknowledgements/permissions

Figures, tables, maps, plates

Check that quality is acceptable

Is numbering correct and consistent?

Is the design consistent (font, size, colour, spacing)?

Check captions against lists of figures, tables or illustrations in the prelims

Check spelling, punctuation/grammar of figure labels and table column headings

Check alignment of columns in tables and positioning of ruled lines

Check that all illustrations provide a credit/source acknowledgement and query if any appear to be missing

End Matter

Notes

Ensure all notes are cued & numbered consecutively by chapter/through the book

If notes are grouped at the end of the book, check the text and the page numbers given alongside to ensure they match the main text and the contents page

Check that the note numbers given match the in-text note markers

If running heads include cross-references to page numbers, check these are correct, or fill in if required

Glossary

Is the list in alphabetical order?

Check that the layout is consistent

Afterword

Check that the spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Appendices

Check that the layout is consistent

Check that the numbering is consistent and matches any in-text cross references and the contents list

Bibliography/references

Is the list in alphabetical order?

Has the preferred reference style been used correctly and consistently?

Pagination and layout

Check that all text pages are numbered consecutively in the end matter

Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Page depth

Check page depth is consistent throughout

Look out for uneven page depths on facing rectos and versos

Page margins

Text area is consistent throughout & adequate for printing & readability purposes

Running heads

Check that running heads match chapter heads (or abbreviated forms of them)

Check that running heads are correct and consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

FINAL NOTES

Authors need to take their books through all the types of editing.

That doesn’t mean hiring third party professionals for each stage.

Writing groups, self-study courses, how-to books, and self publishing organizations are all great sources of editorial support.

If you decide to work with a professional, invest in one who can help you where you’re weakest:

You might be a great structural self-editor but prone to overwriting. Or you might have nailed line craft but need help with story development.

Pay attention to the order of play when it comes to revision.

Fixing plot holes at proofreading stage might damage previous rounds of editing.

Source More: On Editing

[daisywords]

I personally know there are multiple types of editing but I've never seen anyone explain it in a way that actually made me understand what the types of editing actually were (yeah cool that you say {}editing is different from []editing but *how*). So if you wanna explain, feel free to.

Your handy-dandy guide to different types of editing

disclaimer: writers, you can literally edit however works for you. these distinction can be useful to your process, or just if you're looking to hire an editor. Not all editors make distinctions in this way; there are various ways of dividing. But no matter what vocabulary you use, it's best practice to start with broad, big-picture stuff and move towards narrower issues. Some editors do all levels of editing, while some specialize.

Developmental Editing (Is it a good story?)

Developmental editing has to do with the content. For a novel, that means working on the bones of the story. The plot. The pacing. The characters. Do their motivations make sense? Can the reader understand why things are happening? Does the story drag in places, or seem to brush past important elements? Do all of the subplots get resolved? etc. etc. (At this stage an editor is mostly going to be offering suggestions, pointing out issues, and throwing out potential solutions. Beta readers can also be very helpful at this stage to get a reader's perspective on the story beats and characters.)

Line Editing (is it well written?)

Sometimes called substantive editing, line editing is zooming in a little bit more to focus on scenes, paragraphs and sentences. Once we've decided that a scene is going to stay, lets look at the mechanics of how it plays out. Does the scene start to early or too late? Does the writing style communicate the emotions we want the reader to feel? Does the dialogue match the characters' voices? do any of the sentences sound awkward or ugly? Is the movement being bogged down by too much purple prose anywhere, or is there not enough detail? (This can get pretty subjective, so it's important that the writer and the editor are on the same page with taste, style goals, etc.)

Copy Editing (is is correct?)

Copy editing is all about the details. Think grammar and punctuation. Do the sentences make sense? are they grammatically correct? Is the dialogue punctuated correctly? Any misspellings? Should this be hyphenated? Should this be capitalized? Should we use a numeral, or write out the number? etc etc. A significant part of copy editing is matching everything to a style manual (like Chicago or AP) a house style guide (individualized preferences from a publisher, for example), and a project's own internal style sheet (are the character's names spelled the same every time? if we used "leaped" in chapter 4, we shouldn't use "leapt" in chapter 7) Copy editing is still subjective, but less so than the earlier levels, so a copyeditor will be more likely to just go in and make a bunch of (tracked!) changes without consulting the author for everything.

Bonus: Proofreading (did the copyeditor catch everything? are there typos? formatting issues? have any errors been introduced?)

Lots of people say editing when they really mean proofreading. Proofreading is the absolute last thing to get done. It's the one last pass just before something is published. It's important, but as you can see, there's a whole lot more to editing than just checking for typos.

[physalian]

Beta Reader Checklist! (Suggestions)

Beta reading is highly, highly subjective, so take this whole post with a massive grain of salt. IMO, in short, more feedback is always safer than less feedback, unless the author states otherwise.

Like, if they ask you to do a final read through for any lingering issues, you can speed-read your way through the manuscript for general vibes and enjoyability. If this is the first round of edits and beta reads, the more you can give them, even if you think you're over-reaching, the better.

Thank you to all my betas thus far, absolutely no shade meant with this post. Everybody's got different expectations. This is meant to help anyone who's unsure about the task before them.

So I'm going to use some snippets from my seasoned beta reader's feedback from my upcoming novella for the variety of commentary you can give.

Positive vibes/reader reaction

Even if the manuscript is a hot mess, sending back a beta read with 0 good things to say is going to demoralize the author. Even if all you can say is "this is a cool concept that can benefit from a better execution," letting the author know that they've written something salvagable helps, especially if you can do it in the first few paragraphs.

Grammar and Syntax

You are not a line editor and should not be expected to line edit someone's first draft (and this beta got the ~7th draft). However, if you do see something while reading, there's no reason that you can't leave a suggestion.

Fun commentary

We authors like to know that the reader is connecting with the story. These comments tells me absolutely nothing helpful about bettering the manuscript, but they're human responses from a human reader and it's just nice to see. Beta readers are casual, you should be allowed to stay stuff like this.

Developmental edits

Beta readers generally come before the big expensive editor (if you ever hire one at all) which means the goal is more big picture, developmental commentary over splitting hairs about punctuation. This comment got me to add about half a paragraph's worth of extra narrative to expand upon, because I liked the suggestion.

Continuity and reader comprehension

This novella happens to be about a niche subject that not every layman reader will understand, so I have to find the line between overexplaining to those who know, and underexplaining to those who don't, without reading like a textbook. The top line I ended up leaving as I didn't think the risk of confusion was worth the added technical detail. The bottom line was a continuity error that I did have to fix.

Repetition and style

I'm an author who will always look for ways to lower my word count. Sometimes cutting a random line is better for the narrative than doubling down and trying to justify it with extra details. In this case, I over-used a motif, and happily saved myself 7 words.

Potential for extra detail

If you struggle with lengthening your word count, you can ask your betas to focus on where the narrative is thin and can benefit for more immersion and backstory. This beta leaves me comments everywhere suggesting places for extra sensory details, as I write very lean narratives with little fluff, and my consistency with sensory details varies widely.

All told, over 21k words of story, this beta left me exactly 100 comments, and a couple quick line edits within the text itself. It shows me, at the very least, that she was engaged with the story. The only time she doesn't leave me comments is when a scene is so intense that she forgets to make one.

The Reader Report

The reader report is a separate document from the manuscript copy that compiles and condenses the beta's thoughts into a much shorter format so the author doesn't have to scroll up and down constantly for a big picture takeaway. It also expands upon any commentary the beta had, but didn't want to put in a single tag within the narrative and is typically written after most of the manuscript has been read for overall thoughts.

This beta in particular knows what I like, which is breaking down the report by chapter (or parts in this case). The only thing missing from her delivery is a final conclusion that will answer the three big questions:

Did she like it?

Would she buy it?

Would she recommend it?

But it was also done in a rush and in her email she said I made her cry so I count that as a yes for all 3.

—

I did not implement every suggestion from her, but I did acknowledge where other readers might feel the same and weighed the pros of trying to satisfy everything vs maintaining my clear vision.

The benefit of the beta process, if you work with multiple betas, is having more than one reader's opinion, and why I don't think anyone should pay ridiculous fees for a developmental editor. My betas all had different opinions on this manuscript, and I can treat their feedback like a scatterplot, deciding on revisions with an average throughline.

At the end of the day, you write for yourself, not to please any one beta reader. They're suggestions, not rules, and even if your beta tells you they hate it, you at least learn who your target audience isn't, and what naysayers wouldn't like.

[bsahely]

MAKE OUR CHILDREN COHERENT AGAIN: A Regenerative Call to Action | ChatGPT4o

[Download Full Documnet (PDF)] We are facing not just a public health crisis, but a civilizational one. Our children — sick, anxious, disconnected — are not the problem. They are the signal. They are the diagnostic instrument for a world out of rhythm with itself. This manifesto, a culmination of a multi-phase regenerative coherence initiative, begins with a declaration of breakdown: the…

[alazyparallelworld]

okay guys lets be honest with ourselves here though. like, for a moment,

to viewed & treated as an adult with "moderate/severe intellectual/developmental disabilities" you have to walk across a very thin line.

if you're too eloquent, your means of operation (ADLs, walking, talking, transportation, self-care) are assumed to be good. there is no true Passing, as an ablebodied/ableminded person online. IRL there are tics; there are deformations in the face, hands, that cue people into. "oh, you are not cognitively All There. got it."

if you are comprehensible, then it isn't that bad. you're basically an ableminded (read: normal) person. you're held to impossible standards of behavior, intellect, and motor skills - when you eventually fail their expectations, they react to it as a failure of you, as a person. that you did it on purpose. worse-case scenario, it'll spread that you're faking. your story of difficulty is just a ploy.

and this is if you're perceived and treated as an adult.

if there's visible, evident in text, that There Is Something Wrong with you on a neuron level? you become a kid. people are fascinated that you're online at all (and doubtful of your independence at this, another bell ring of are you faking?)

people mind their words around you. "fragile, like glass," is an understatement. i've had experiences IRL where strangers worriedly stood beside me, wondering where my parents/caregiver was. one woman got into my face, ignored my jolting away and stuttering, and moved my bangs out of my eyes. because it was Bad for me. (don't you know that?)

and that's, in person, when i have an adult's stature and appearance. where my drivers license has my 90s birthdate.

if your speech is broken - either in grammar or illogical - or you use assistive tools like an AAC board, speech to text, people assume that talking is hard for you. you need to be monitored by someone who knows better - you need to do as little as possible. you need to be away from everyone else; it's disturbing to see someone out of the SPED classroom, outside of the assisted living facilities.

and most of the time - even around the most sensitive, kind people and friends - i still fall into one or other binary of functional/nonfunctional. independent/dependent.

[ominous-faechild]

[[EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS]]

Between a broken ankle, college debts I need to pay off, and housing difficulties, I'm in desperate need of money. So, as a writer of over ten years who's been editing my own writing for most of it, I'm offering paid editing services!

(for anyone who doesn't have any work to offer me but still wants to support me, I have a gofundme)

I personally am most adept with Fantasy, Action, LGBTQIA+, and deep & emotional characters. I only know English, so I unfortunately can't help with translations. Examples of my writing and edits will be provided following prices.

Line Editing:

$12 per 1,000 words, $0.012/word (help with sentence/paragraph structure and length; advice on how to elaborate and build upon preexisting ideas or cut down on excessive detail; and proofreading. I will actively converse with you on details and ways to improve specific parts of the story.)

example:

(original/edited; from @world-of-iridensia/Falco_77 (ao3). The text in green are examples of comments I may leave to help you build on details for the story; usually for pacing and storytelling reasons.)

Developmental Editing:

$12 per 1,000 words, $0.012/word (feedback on the entire story: the story's structure, the plot, pacing, character arcs, and overall delivery. I will actively converse with you on both what's done well as well as what can be improved. We can work on building out your strengths as well as developing your weaknesses.)

(example unable to be provided)

Proofreading:

$5 per 1,000 words, $0.005/word (basic editing services; grammar and minor sentence structure guidance)

example:

(original/edited; from @world-of-iridensia/Falco_77 (ao3).)

Beta Reading:

$3 per 1,000 words; $0.003/word (basic overlook of the story's structure, the plot, pacing, character arcs, and delivery. Offer of minor edits when and where they're glaring)

(example unable to be provided)

(all fractional cents will be rounded down in the final price)

PERSONAL WRITING EXAMPLES:

Narrative/Basic:

Action/Emotional:

reblogs are appreciated for visibility!

fancy silver divider by @saradika

[spacebuggorez]

!! murder drones doodle ideas !!

I'm bored out of my mind sooo... Boop the ask box!!

Any requests are accepted (just be respectful please thank you).

Request status: !!Open!!

Asks: !!Open!!

If closed: Don't worry, I'm resting/catching up to unanswered asks/working on life stuff! ^^

All Good!

OCs

Ships (Toxic Yuri/Yaoi, Selfship, Rarepair, Crackship, OCxCanon, Any)

Suggestive

AUs (as long, creators are fine with it)

Literally anything is fine lol

Nope!

NSFW

Problematic Ships (Incest; including step family as well, Bestiality, Adult-on-Child)

Any type of hate towards people

Redesigns of people's OCs

NSFW AUs

◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ About The Artist ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯

✮ AroAce | Disabled | ENG-ASL | {BE FREE AND CRINGE} | I might draw weird shit at any time | Traditional and Digital Artist (mainly animals; both feral and anthropomorphic, and robots) ✮

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It's my blog, I can post anything I feel like. I prefer if my audience is at least, +16 due to whatever content I will post or reblog on here, I can't control who is following me, I will resort to blocking or you can just block specific tags if you don't want to see them. Please be patient with my dumb ass, I'm anxious socially and might have a difficult time replying plus I absolutely have terrible grammar so don't be surprised. As usual, MEOWZIES!! <3

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⚠ !! DNI !! ⚠ Any type of bigotry Ableism (I know it´s a type of bigotry but I want to make sure that I'm making things clear, since I have developmental disabilities and mental illnesses, I will not tolerate any type of attitude towards disabled people.) People who are willfully harnessing people over some silly things such as ship or different options in general. Anti-cringe people Pedophiles and Zoophiles AI bros

Tags I usually use

#my art / bugz art - my artworks I posted here.

#woofzies - Stuffs I reblogged from cool people!

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#bugz rambling -my rambling, ranting, or many weird crap I talk about.

#bugz answers - the asks I answered.

#chirpzies - commissions from cool people!!! (Not settling the sheet yet so no commission at this time)

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Please tag me in any fandom stuff I'm interested in, I would like to see them :3c

Fandoms I'm in:

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Have a lovely day/night, my friends! ^w^

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

when u look at nonverbal nonspeaking people diagnose with severe/profound intellectual disability you see roughly 2 group people:

1. people who it misdiagnosis because severe global apraxia motor issues make it impossible/near impossible mouth speak (at all or reliably). n difficulty control movement from that mean usual method of teach usual AAC not meet needs, make usual neuropsych etc assessment results unreliable because so much of it depend on reliable motor control, n unreliable movements often fit people assumption about what ID look like. but ultimately it not a intellectual/cognitive problem (many of them typical or high intelligence), it a global motor problem n it a speech problem (which for them is motor problem) not language problem.

2. people whose severe profound ID correct diagnosis & they nonverbal minimally verbal because language problem (n possibly speak motor problem but you need language first before think about mouth speak) because cognitive intellectual problem.

both group definitely exist. have seen people say group 1 not exist they all fake or faked by hopeful caregivers n clinicians, only group 2 exist. have also seen people say group 2 not exist, what you think of group 2 is all actually group 1 all of them. n both of them wrong

but base on how group 1 talk about how entire life they been assumed be group 2, both look similar enough under how developmental disabilities currently be understand n treated by professionals

2 group have some distinct n contradictory needs. group 1 want inclusion programs not segregated programs want same hardness education as nondisabled peers want be talked to n treated as same as cognitively able peers bc they cognitively abled, not 1+1 drills or “how cook” at school because assumed not able understand academics. they want communication methods that actually work with body with motor.

but if give same thing to group 2 it unhelpful at best n harmful/more frustrating n so cause more “challenging behaviors” - be taught things they will never understand because that what severe profound ID means, n be constantly surround by complicated thing dont understand n expect to do complicated thing dont understand is frustrating n they no way communicate that other than behaviorally. they often medically complex in way only have limited amount time n energy n brain slots to learn so it better teach them stuff that they may actually realistically use, like very basic daily life skills. communication support for them look like language development support n maybe communicate basic wants n needs via picture cards, n some them may never progress beyond answer basic question like what want eat with 1 maybe 2 picture cards, not to mention long phrases grammar sentences. some may not understand high tech AAC well enough to use. it not judgement it just realistic life for many.

n if give those to group 1 people, which many group 1 people got, my god it endlessly frustrating too

but. don’t know how tell apart group 1 from 2 beyond group 1 people say they group 1 (which, many group 1 people at parts of life not able do that bc motor). motor tests depend on cognitive intellectual understanding instructions, n cognitive intellectual testing depend on motor. “listen” n “presume competence” all true but idk how give what each group need without accident put them in other group n so give them “support” they not need. am not going be single person solve this but all scenario come up in head feel always there at least one reason fail. always fear that.