Another mind on your manuscript
A book, a script, a personal essay, or ideas that have not quite become a manuscript. I offer careful reading, honest feedback and a conversation about what you are trying to make. You can bring an early idea, a troublesome chapter or a substantial draft. You do not need to tidy everything up before asking for help.
Find the shape
Bounce ideas around, clarify what you want to say and find a structure that carries it. We can look at pacing, sequence, gaps and repetition, then work out what to develop, move or cut.
Experience I bring
My background includes screenwriting in Hollywood, several years proofreading in New York educational publishing, writing and proofreading university marketing material, and freelance court-deposition proofreading. These brought together story, dialogue, audience and close attention to complex text. I graduated magna cum laude from Emerson College and completed Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice in January 2016.
Refine the work
Explore voice, character, dialogue and point of view. I will tell you where I am engaged, where I am confused and where the work could go further. Together we can turn that feedback into manageable next steps for revision. The decisions remain yours.
How we begin
Email sam@samdarling.com with a short description of your project, its approximate length and stage, and what you would like help with. We will discuss whether we are a good fit and agree on scope, fee and timing before work begins. That might mean a focused conversation, feedback on a section or support through a larger revision.