Trial Edit Exercises & Examples

Review the opening pages of early drafts by fellow writers and see the changes professional editors recommended.

Review the opening pages of early drafts. They provide a critical counterpoint to what we're used to seeing on the printed page.

Expand your writing skills by stepping outside of your style, genre, and voice to edit the pages in the exercises

Compare your edits to the professional editor's feedback to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses – what did you notice, and what are your blind spots?

See how each editor works differently, and how genre, content, and numerous other factors affect the feedback

Understand the nature of that critical collaboration between editors and authors

Develop an appreciation for the journey of a rough draft, and a sense of how your own writing could be improved.