Theodora Bryant

I consider novels to be mental movies. I see novels, I don’t read them. It’s how I work as a developmental editor.

Movies have characters, who, to be successful, viewers must like, fear, admire, but in some way, believe are real as the person sitting next to him or her in the theatre. Years later, people remember the names of characters and who that character was, in the best movies.

Movies have scenery and setting and weather, which are characters in their own way. It all must be real, whether it’s in a fantasy land or somewhere on Earth. Sci-fi and fantasy movies often soar with their backdrops, but can fail with being too dark, or fast, or undefined, bewildering the viewer – or too dull, putting the watcher to sleep.

Movies have plots which can fall apart (and the audience laughs or leaves) or bore a viewer because it’s just tooooo long, or have too many dumb mistakes that anybody can see, or keeps that viewer glued to his or her seat hardly able to breathe. Perhaps it’s a tear-jerker and viewers are so involved they cry. Time disappears in the best movies; if it doesn’t, the theatre empties early.

Movies have scenes, each one with a beat that drives the viewer to the next scene and the next and the next until the end (assuming neither the plot nor characters have them running for the door) and that ending has to satisfy the crowd or it fails at the box office. Everything in a movie is aimed at the end, the reveal, the death, the big win, but it’s done in scenes flowing seamlessly, invisibly to that end. It’s my job to make sure all of that is in your novel (and extraneous stuff out) before we’re finished working together.

Amazon #1 International Best Seller

Kirkus Reviews: “. . . Brimming with well-defined details and characters; augmented by bountiful enthusiasm and spirit.”

“Theodora is an awesome editor who doesn’t pull her punches when she sees something wrong (I hired her after sending a sample with the intent of seeing whether she’d call me out or kiss up) but she also knows when a light touch is best.

“On the story consult level, one of the iconic scenes readers mention most often came about because Theodora made me realize an element needed to be made clear to the reader. She sparked this moment of inspiration, so, she’s one part editor and one part muse.”

—L. James Rice
Author Eve of Snows, Sundering the Gods. NORDIC MYTH AND LEGEND FANTASY

“Theodora was extremely thorough, precise, and tough, but just what my book and I needed. She found all the rough spots that didn’t make sense to anyone but me, and made them the best they could be. She found all the parts that were brilliant to everyone—including me—wink, wink, and made them shine. At its core, the very act of working through the manuscript with Theodora, line-by-line, and explaining the work, made the story all that much better.”

 

—Spencer Wolf
Author After Mind, FUTURISTIC/PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE FICTION

“I can’t say enough good things about Theodora Bryant. She did an outstanding job pinpointing problem areas without disrupting the voice of the manuscript. She also did a remarkable job of challenging me as a writer with a non-confrontational demeanor. She is a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend her services to anyone interested in polishing quality work.”

—Nelson Mantle [Writing as N. Lawrence Mann]
Author Full Breach, PARANORMAL MYSTERY, Coma Dreams, SUSPENSE

“After a first look at the first draft of Beneath the Surface Tension, Theodora recommended I get the whole tamale for editing: structural, creative, developmental, and macro-grammar-tense-viewpoint. And she delivered! She was patient, yet honest with the work. She went what I felt was above and beyond with walking me through the actual post-writing process of getting the book on Kindle and CreateSpace, and even chipped in with advice on the cover design and website! I will definitely use Theodora for the next book in this series.”

—Dietrich Biemiller
Author Beneath the Surface Tension, SCIENCE FICTION

“Theodora’s guidance really helped me tighten my writing. Her attention to detail amazes me and she catches the smallest issues that I had overlooked. My writing is always strengthened by her edits and advice. ”

—Ryan Gannaway [Writing as Kildare]

Author Dreamwander, Vol. One of In the Ruins of Eden,. LITERARY FANTASY, The Tragedy of Beauty, NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE/COMING OF AGE

“Theodora is an amazing editor to work with. From the start of my collaboration with her, it was clear that my success as a writer was her primary goal. When she suggested revisions, it was equally clear she understood my characters and story. She also provided me with a copy of How to Market on Amazon Kindle, which she had put together herself for all the writers she provides editing for. I don’t think it would’ve been possible to get my book published the way I wanted it without her expertise.”

—Damian Myron
Author Dig Down, MYSTERY THRILLER

“I’m very glad that I chose Theodora Bryant. From the get go, she was engaged, even prior to our contract. That, plus her advice and work ethic (not to mention years of experience in copy-editing), all turned my manuscript from a draft into one worthy of submission to any agency or publishing house. In all, I’m well-pleased with the outcome.”

—Daniel Lewis
Author Acheron Falls, ROMANTIC SCIENCE FICTION

“I went into the editing process determined that it be a learning experience that would help me become a better novelist and to say I learned a lot from Theodora would be a gross understatement. In picking her, I didn’t want a ‘yes’ person, but instead an editor who would push me to write better and make the book, Big Mother 40, better. I got that from Theodora.”

—Marc Liebman
Author Big Mother 40, VIETNAM MILITARY ACTION

“Theodora has been a consummate professional. Her hard work has been detailed, responsive, helpful – just what I needed. Her personality makes her a dream to work with. I could not have asked for better editing help.

I enthusiastically recommend her.”

—Don Preston
Author Right on Schedule, , PARANORMAL SUSPENSE/HUMOR