Because dual narratives and frame narratives are frequent tropes, especially in historical and women’s fiction, I edit a decent amount of manuscripts that use them. This can be a fantastic device if the author’s intention in using this structure is either evident on the page or is something they’ve told me they’re working toward.
If the reason is just that it’s a trope of the genre and therefore they have to do it, though? Then, Houston, we may have a problem.
Read MoreHatch Editorial Services LLC does not use generative AI (here referred to as “genAI” or “AI”) agents such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, or Perplexity in conjunction with editorial work on any client’s manuscript, nor does it use genAI agents to create any editorial feedback or products for purchase. That is, it does not feed client work into an AI agent or use AI to draft editorial letters, line-edit manuscripts, or complete any other task related to clients’ intellectual property or to writers’ education.
Beyond the ways genAI is actively depleting our water supply; the fact it’s a probability machine that, by design, makes creativity trend toward the law of averages; and the piratical impact it’s had on our industry, Hatch Editorial Services has made this decision in order to fulfill its promise to provide high-quality, personalized work that retains the individual author’s voice. The use of genAI in an editorial capacity would only flatten that.
The choice to use or not use generative AI, however, is a personal one. Writers who use genAI as an assistant or as a tool in the early steps of the creative process (e.g., writing prompts, research, interactive outlining) are welcome to collaborate with Hatch Editorial Services, pending their ability to confirm the work is their intellectual property alone and does not include anyone else’s copyrighted material.
Here’s a little taste of my post, “When Is My Manuscript Ready for a Freelance Editor? A Cost-Effective Look at Polishing Your Novel,” which is all about finding the right freelance editor on a budget, along with a link to read the rest on Girl Tell Me’s website.
Read MoreCharacters lacking in agency often don’t have many motivating factors to help them think, speak, or act. Instead, they passively accept the things happening around them.
This can make it difficult for the reader to empathize with your characters, often because it seems the characters are doing nothing to help themselves. As a result, you may risk losing your reader’s interest in your novel.
Read MoreRemember Goldilocks and the Three Bears? We don’t want too much or too little background on a character in a manuscript. We want it to be just right.
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