Editing and Consulting Services

As all poets know, we write as the muse moves us; and the more experiences we have in life, the more we are inspired to let the muse "do her thing." As you collect your experiences and your thoughts about your experiences, and set them down in print, there will be times when your words do not match those fascinating, tender, or heart-wrung moments about which you set out to write. That is when you will feel mentally alone and frustrated; that is when all those thoughts confined to your inner chambers will be crying out for expression and freedom from the fetters of your mind. That is when you will wish you could find just the right word, or phrase, or nuance, or something that would make your outer voice more perfectly express the leadings of your inner voice, your muse.

Over the years, I have helped many poets with their outer voice. I would be happy to help you with yours. There have been many times I have also helped poets with their inner voice. To those who have ever had that need, no further explanation is necessary.

Most writers become very attached to their words. It is sometimes difficult to turn those words over to someone else – even to a professional editor – for the purpose of having them scrutinized, one by one, whether or not the editor has only the desired finished "product" in mind. It is therefore important, in advance, to know my philosophy regarding editing:

As an editor, it is my sole desire to take what someone has written and make it shine its brightest.

If it takes scraping away little bits of this and adding the luster of that, or even if it takes the "magic" of transforming your chosen words and phrases into your intended words and phrases, I will chip, polish and transform until your poem is as you want it to be.

Words are perhaps even more important to the poet than to the writer at large, since often fewer of them are used to convey meanings that span the gamut of the emotions or the breath of time. Whereas a writer at large can ramble on and on with the hope that his readers will eventually grasp his meaning, a poet must cast off words, creating meaning with placement and sound, just as a sculptor chisels away that which is useless to his work of art and creates meaning only with what is left behind.

Words are tools; they are at everyone's disposal, yet sometimes a poet can use the wrong tool and not get the job done. As a poet, I can understand your reluctance to "give up" a word or phrase that you struggled with or labored over for perhaps many days, weeks, or even months. Yet as an editor, I ask you to consider what is more important: To hold on to exactly what you wrote, or to see the beauty of your intended words surface upon the page as you feel your emotion set free, allowing your reader to feel what you were feeling when you set out to capture that moment of life. A reader who can feel your pain or your joy, who can understand your message and want more, is a reader who will appreciate you and the way you care about presenting your thoughts to the world.♥

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Editing (includes spelling, grammar, punctuation; fine-tuning expressed feelings, emotions, and mood; balancing words; alliteration; harmonizing flow and "sound" of the lines; and, if necessary, beautifying layout, look, and length of poem): $50 for the first hour; $20 for each additional half hour, or $35 per additional whole hour thereafter.

Consulting (for those with that "inner voice" challenge, and those who--among other things--are unsure as to what style to use, what voice to use, how to get started, or how to know when the poem is finished): $50 for the first hour; $20 for each additional half hour, or $35 per additional whole hour thereafter.

Other (for those who wish to use my editing and/or writing services for non-poetry purposes). Please contact me for editing and/or help with writing your life story, your novel, a collection of anecdotes or short stories for your children or grandchildren, or even your creative obituary or notes to leave "behind." We can negotiate the financial details during the initial consultation to see how big a project it will be. This unique consultation, which can be up to one whole hour, will only be $20. Should you decide to choose me for editing your work, we can discuss the various options at that time.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Contact: maramissive@aol.com.  Please include your name, phone number, e-mail address, length of poem (number of lines; number of words) and the particular challenge you have. You should receive an acknowledgement within seven days.