Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Build Your Writing Momentum, With Some Editor TLC

By Will Willingham 12 Comments

Editor TLC orange buds opening
When I was a newer writer, few things were as helpful as exploring the editing process, once I (or someone else) had been edited. Like comparing the before and after photos of a home renovation, I scoured the draft and the final looking for the changes—large and small—that tapped away at a piece like a sculptor might do to release a stone’s very best form.

Around here, that’s what we like to say great editing is: listening for the absolute heartbeat of a piece and bringing it forward— (which sometimes, actually, means adding a bit more material, not taking it away).

In the beginning, I didn’t have anyone editing my work but me, so I sought places where a person could hang out online to watch editors generously doing a little of that work in the open. I read the gentle conversations around others’ work and learned to replace my own limp adverbs with strong images, to weed out extraneous words, to leave some things unsaid and give the reader a chance to participate more deeply on their own terms.

These are just a few things that build momentum in our writing, giving it a power that keeps the reader wanting to continue reading. When we publish at Tweetspeak, and at T.S. Poetry Press, momentum is the thing we’re looking for—and if a piece of writing doesn’t have it yet, that’s where the editing begins.

We call that process Editor TLC. And now we’re making it the focus of a cool (and fun) live online mini-intensive that’s free for our patrons—so they can become their own best editors.

How Editor TLC Will Work

Every couple of months, we’ll offer a writing prompt to get the process started. It may be for fiction, non-fiction, even poetry. We’ll invite you to write from the prompt, then submit your piece to us for possible selection for gentle but thorough editing that will inspire conversation and reflection—so you can become your own best editor and even learn to edit others’ work if you so desire.

On the night of the online Editor TLC gathering, we’ll offer a short editorial talk that explores best-practice as it relates to the prompt’s center, then we’ll show how we edited one submitted piece in line with that best-practice, and we’ll leave a little time for Q&A—with the aim to have a vibrant, intriguing, writing-altering conversation.

The Editor TLC talk will be given by one of our professional editors, authors, or writing friends. And you’ll want to be sure to watch for a special night coming up later this year, with warm and delightful poet Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, author of poemcrazy.

This opportunity is open to our Tweetspeak Patrons at the following levels:

$1 Patrons: Participate in the prompt and submit your piece for possible Editor TLC (you can choose to have this done at the online gathering without your name attached, if you’re feeling shy)

$5 Patrons: Participate in the prompt and submit your piece for possible Editor TLC, plus we’ll draw five submissions at random that, even if they don’t become the selection to be featured during the online gathering, will be given some TLC by one of our editors. Also get access to a recording of the event.

$12 (and up) Patrons: Participate in the prompt and submit your piece for possible Editor TLC, plus your piece will automatically be given some TLC by one of our editors. Also get access to a recording of the event.

And, of course, if you’re a Patron at any level, you’re welcome to join in for the editorial talk, whether or not you choose to write for the prompt.

(To become a Patron for as little as $1 a month, visit us on Patreon.)

Writing Prompt—For Private Practice or to Submit for Editor TLC

Our first event will be held on Tuesday, June 19, at 8:00 pm Eastern time, with L.L. Barkat as our featured editor.

Here’s your writing prompt for the evening:

Craft a single paragraph that creates unexpected compassion for a character (fictional or real). If the character is not particularly likable, or has a questionable background or future, the compassion you stir might be all the more unexpected. However, you could also write about a likable, steady character. It’s up to you!

Sometimes it takes a little setup to create compassion. If you need to write a few paragraphs to precede the “single paragraph,” feel free to do so. But, be sure identify the target paragraph if you submit it for Editor TLC.

Not Doing the Writing Prompt? Answer These Pre-Discussion Questions Instead

1. Do you think it matters if an author creates compassion for a character? Why or why not?

2. What’s the best example you can remember of a character you felt compassion for? What made you feel compassion for them?

3. In ordinary life, what do you think helps create compassion between people?

Already a Patron? Submit Your Paragraph or Question Responses Now

If you’re already a Patron, you may submit your paragraph or question responses using the form below. (Please submit only once per person, by June 15.)

[wpforms id=”37517″]

Photo by Gunnar Marquardt, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by LW Lindquist.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Will Willingham
Follow Will
Will Willingham
Director of Many Things; Senior Editor, Designer and Illustrator at Tweetspeak Poetry
I used to be a claims adjuster, helping people and insurance companies make sense of loss. Now, I train other folks with ladders and tape measures to go and do likewise. Sometimes, when I’m not scaling small buildings or crunching numbers with my bare hands, I read Keats upside down. My first novel is Adjustments.
Will Willingham
Follow Will
Latest posts by Will Willingham (see all)
  • Earth Song Poem Featured on The Slowdown!—Birds in Home Depot - February 7, 2023
  • The Rapping in the Attic—Happy Holidays Fun Video! - December 21, 2022
  • Video: Earth Song: A Nature Poems Experience—Enchanting! - December 6, 2022

Filed Under: Blog, Editing, Editor TLC, Patron Publishing Opportunties, writing prompt, Writing Tips

Get Every Day Poems...

About Will Willingham

I used to be a claims adjuster, helping people and insurance companies make sense of loss. Now, I train other folks with ladders and tape measures to go and do likewise. Sometimes, when I’m not scaling small buildings or crunching numbers with my bare hands, I read Keats upside down. My first novel is Adjustments.

Comments

  1. Laura Brown says

    June 1, 2018 at 9:11 am

    What a great idea. And a great photo.

    Reply
    • L.L. Barkat says

      June 1, 2018 at 10:09 am

      We loved the idea of building momentum in one’s writing. And that can begin with the slightest of movement. A sparkle in sentence three, a glimmer in stanza two. Prose, poetry, no matter. Things must move along. A reader must feel carried, propelled, or drawn forward.

      For the really experienced writer, that momentum often arises in what feels like a seamless way—as part of a hard-earned, invisible editing process (which can be fun to unpack, recognize, and strengthen in fresh ways). For the newer writer, momentum can be catalyzed and cultivated through an insightful editing process. Either way, it feels intriguing to discuss what creates momentum versus what fails to move (or, tangles and sticks).

      Reply
    • Will Willingham says

      June 2, 2018 at 1:26 pm

      Really looking forward to this. It has such great possibility. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    June 15, 2018 at 11:17 pm

    This sounds like a great opportunity, but frankly – it scares me!
    Want to be ready for a challenge like this, but not sure I am up for it.
    Does that make sense?
    Perhaps I will have the courage and determination once I complete Laura Brown’s workshop: Place Yourself.
    Hope the window won’t have closed!

    Reply
    • L.L. Barkat says

      June 16, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Katie, I’m glad you shared that it scares you. You’re probably not alone in that. If you have suggestions for how to make this a non-scary experience for writers, I’d love to hear them. 🙂

      Reply
      • Katie says

        June 16, 2018 at 7:40 pm

        Thank you, LL.
        Not sure exactly what scares me – nervous about not measuring up I suppose – ?
        Will think on it and see if I have any suggestions.

        Reply
    • Will Willingham says

      June 16, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Katie, we hope to do this occasionally, so you’ll have chances. 🙂

      But, even if you decide not to submit a sample for Editor TLC, do still answer the other questions and plan to come to the online event. It’s helpful to learn from what an editor does with another’s work too!

      Reply
      • Katie says

        June 16, 2018 at 7:37 pm

        Thank you, LW.
        Appreciate the encouragement.
        I’ll plan to come to the online event – June 19th, correct?

        Reply
    • Laura Lynn Brown says

      June 16, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      Katie, I think you’re ready. What part scares you? Is it partly the uncertainty of what will happen?

      As LW suggests, please come anyway. Maybe answering the questions is less scary.

      Reply
      • Katie says

        June 16, 2018 at 7:46 pm

        Thank you, Laura.
        Appreciate your vote of confidence!
        Think I’ll take a stab at the questions and maybe that will bolster me for attending the online event.

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Book Club Announcement: Priya Parker's The Art of Gathering - says:
    June 1, 2018 at 10:39 am

    […] book clubs, occasional meet-ups, intimate poetry gatherings like The Mischief Cafe, or our new Editor TLC events. Now, we’ve been reading this book behind the scenes, and it’s already led us to rethink […]

    Reply
  2. Poetry Prompt: Science Fiction with Ray Bradbury - says:
    June 18, 2018 at 10:48 am

    […] if your writing would benefit from a wider view and an outside perspective, Editor TLC may be of interest. It’s the chance to write in community with a prompt and thoughtful […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For the Writer in You

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our September Menu.

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

Your Comments

  • Bethany on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person
  • Megan Wheeler on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person
  • Bethany R. on Poetry Club: Coffee Shop Collage—”Do the Shells Still Hear”
  • Bethany R. on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person

Join the Year of the Monarch

How to Write Poetry

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Annual Theme 2022: Perspective
  • • Annual Theme 2021: Generous
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2023 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy

We serve poetry with our cookies. Because that's the way it should be.
We serve poetry with your cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you... accept the cookies with a smile.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
update cookie prefs

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT