Writing is far from a solitary act;
nothing is produced in a vacuum.
The very conception of an idea, for a writer, is the product of a rich network of conversations and happenings around them.
As that idea is transformed into story, it becomes a detailed response to that stimuli, addressed to a future, unseen audience we can’t possibly conceive of, to beget its own web of conversations and happenings, propelling us ever forward in a cycle of action, art, and reaction. To me, there is nothing more exciting than imagining that: the intricate tapestry of collaborations leading up to (and resulting from) the moment when I discover a new work of writing—be it a poem, an essay, or a book.
In 2023, Bree was an editor-in-chief for Seventh Wave’s Community Anthology, “On Permanence,” a digital folio showcasing 9 writers and artists.
Among the voices are an Afro-Caribbean scholar dedicated to revivifying Haitian lore; a first-generation Nevada-born witch reclaiming power from the depths of intergenerational trauma; and a Filipina/-American/Mestiza poet investigating what lives in the negative spaces of erasure, among others. These identities may appear disparate from one another, and yet their work—poems, hybrid pieces, essays, art, and short stories—sings in collective harmony, joined together across time and space by the evocation of a single powerful word: permanence.
My approach to editing, educating, and facilitating similarly centers this philosophy, as I hope to engage in deep, generative and transformative collaborations with every artist I encounter.
Briana is a freelance editor, copywriter, and manuscript consultant. She’s worked at literary magazines, creative writing programs, and for individual clients.
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Accountability and Generative Exercises
Developmental Editing
Fact Checking
Interviews
Line Editing
Proofreading
Publishing Advice
Sensitivity Reading
Substantive Editing
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Interviews
Publishers Panels / Q&A’s
Speaking Engagements
Workshop facilitation
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When it comes to providing feedback, I’m interested in sitting with the way a work has changed me before making suggestions on how to change the work. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for me, as I’ve learned that some writers can find success in breaking their own (or others’) rules, and others might benefit more from a sense of increased structure. In this way, I think of my approach as more intuitive than instructional.
Through my own trials and tribulations as a writer, I’ve found that the point-blank, assertive “do this, cut that” approach can often feel alienating and unnecessarily critical, so as an editor and mentor, I aim to guide from a place of openness and generative questioning. I won’t tell you what I think I know about your work; I’ll treat our time together as an ongoing conversation rife with discovery. I’ll get to know you through your words on and off the page, and help you examine where the pulse of your piece is. Through these gentle interrogations, I hope to push you outside of your comfort zone, and to reaffirm your belief in this process—but most importantly, I hope to remind you that you are always in control of your own story, and you will have the ultimate say in the final shape of your work.
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I’m thrilled to work with all kinds of writing, but I’m especially interested in work that functions as connective tissue: between genres, between languages, between organisms, between the micro and the macro, between the individual and the collective; I’m interested in exploring the ways we can step outside of ourselves even while interrogating our own interiorities; I’m interested in telling the same story a hundred different ways; I’m interested in beginning with the fifth paragraph; I’m interested in work that sways the heart and tugs at the mind; I’m interested in writing like a glass frog: a living, breathing organism that reveals every machination throughout the body. If you believe working with me will be nourishing and beneficial to your creative process, I’m interested in working with you.
A few words from past writers.
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Emi Macugua
"From day one of working with Briana as my editor, I knew that she was the perfect steward for my creative nonfiction piece Side Effects. She approached the deeply personal, emotional material with both compassion and a keen professional eye, allowing me to hone my voice and grow as a writer through her astute questions, suggestions, and wise encouragement."
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Savannah Bowen
"Working with Briana was my first experience being edited as a creative writer. I was anxious and concerned about what would happen to my voice if I let another person into my creative process. Briana was so gracious, careful, and insightful. Her notes were thorough and diligent. Through our editorial process, she helped me to infuse more details in my description, strengthen the interior world of my characters, and think more strategically about transitions between scenes."
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Marianne Manzler
"Briana helped me to parse through my disjointed vignettes and scenes, find the beating heart behind my piece, and shape it into something beautiful and cohesive! I read the beginning of the "Rupture" essay the other night at the Writers of Color reading, and I was reminded of how much permission and agency she gave to me throughout the process to lean into my voice, my authentic self on the page."
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Amy Botula
"I met Briana at just the right time. She was my mentor for the Spring '23 Cohort of Pocket MFA. At that time, I had four years' worth of writing, a vague vision of what to do with it, and the need for direct guidance."
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“My experience with Briana is that she is thoughtful, careful, creative, intricately attentive, inventive, and rebellious as an editor. Her whole heart and mind were felt in the comments and line edits. When I felt challenged or cagey about a suggestion, I gave it a day and found it was right for the piece. This is the ideal scenario: To have an editor who can mindfully push me as a writer past where I think I can go. I'm itching to get to work with Bri on a book-long project. She is a gem for me as a writer, to my writing, and to this industry.” — "Katie Lee Ellison, Seventh Wave
“Briana's editing hand is warm and considered. She intuited meaning-making in my packet of poems and offered incisive line edits that brought these poems into the state of clarity that I was reaching toward with them. Working with her was generative, deeply encouraging; the care and generosity with which she approached my work was special.” — Madeline Basil, On Permanence Anthology
“I'm astonished at how much actionable feedback I received in such a short time. I have specific next steps for my book draft. The book as a whole look so much more manageable and achievable than it did. Feedback from people I didn't know before proved inspiring, empowering, sensible, and positive/safe. Briana was extremely helpful, open, respectful to the work and to my ideas. I wouldn't change anything." — Fran Mason, Pocket MFA
“Briana had a very fine line to walk, given different levels of experience with writing, a variety of comfort levels with weighty material, and contrasting communication styles that ranged from indirect to very direct. She navigated this with grace and kept us focused on moving our work forward - each and every one of us. Demonstrating respect for each class member as a valued teacher is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can give." Pen Welsh, Pocket MFA