I’m a Developmental Editor – These are the Five Biggest Issues I See in Memoir Drafts

By Katie Bannon

As a developmental editor, I have read hundreds of memoir manuscripts, in addition to revising my own. Every manuscript I work on has unique craft challenges. Still, there are common trends in my feedback. Most of us can sense when something in our manuscript is falling flat, but we’re so close to the material that it’s challenging to identify areas for improvement. Even with my editorial background, it’s easier to pinpoint issues in someone else’s writing than my own.

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