Presentation Description:  Self Editing with the help of Story Assessment Sheets.  Just as it may feel like you're writing blind when it comes to completing your first novel, memoir, short story, etc., the same can also be said when it comes to approaching self editing. Whether you've complete a piece and think now what do I do with this or tweaked for months yet feels like you’re in an endless loop and the story still seems cloudy, this talk is for you. With focusing on developmental/structure edits first with the help of  a manuscript assessment sheet, it gives authors a clearer path to approach self editing ones work. By the end of the presentation you’ll understand what are the three different types of edits - developmental, line, and proofreading, and why the order matters. Then, with the story assessment sheet hand out, we’ll look at how to use it as a check list for structural elements like pace, strong beginning hooks, and setting, character development, and plot development issues to diagnose manuscript strengthens and problems. Lastly, I will share how you can reuse this tool to get specific feedback from beta readers. Then if there’s time for questions and answers that will be great! 

About the Presenter: M. K. Sholund first started out working as a freelance writer in the early 2000s, with articles published in trade magazines. She has since turned to writing horror in the form of short stories, flash fiction and one completed, unpublished novel. She has earned an Honorable Mention for a flash story submitted to WritingBattle.com in 2025 and her flash stories have been published in regional anthologies such as the 2025 Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Anthology. M.K. serves as the president of the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Writers Association, is a member of the Horror Writers Association, involved in a critique group for 4 years and the Cult (Classic) Writing Group. Her first published book is 150+ Prompts: A Creative Writer’s Journal came out in May 2005 and available for sale on her website, www.mksholund.com and at major online book retailers.