36 Developmental Editing Templates

Developmental pass: purpose/audience → structure map → progression/causality → missing/repeated material → priority revision plan.

Editorial letter: Strengths [2–3] | primary issue [root cause] | evidence [examples] | revision options [choices] | order of work [sequence].

Chapter audit: chapter goal | new information/change | tension/question | dependency | cut/move/expand/keep.

Revision priority: Must fix before next draft | high-value improvement | optional polish | line-level issue to defer.

Developmental edit map: Reader promise → [ ]; structure → [ ]; missing/duplicate material → [ ]; arc/argument issues → [ ]; revision priorities → [ ].

Developmental pass: Promise/story question → [ ]; structure → [ ]; missing logic → [ ]; repeated sections/scenes → [ ]; stakes/reader progression → [ ]; revision priorities → [ ].

Edit-stage fit: Problem is [structure/logic/character/scene/prose/grammar] → correct pass → [developmental/line/copy/proof] → defer lower-level edits until [ ].

Context audit for Developmental Editing: purpose → [ ]; reader knowledge → [ ]; format/length → [ ]; evidence or canon constraints → [ ]; what changes in this context → [ ]; final check → [ ].

Scenario transfer worksheet for Developmental Editing: current task → [ ]; reader/genre → [ ]; constraint → [ ]; tempting default → [ ]; better decision → [ ]; why it fits → [ ]; next related guide → [ ].

Skill progression worksheet for Developmental Editing: beginner version → [ ]; intermediate constraint → [ ]; advanced constraint → [ ]; what changed in the writing decision → [ ]; next skill to study → [ ].

Constraint decision sheet for Developmental Editing: normal case → [ ]; harder constraint → [ ]; what must stay true → [ ]; what can change → [ ]; evidence/reader/genre check → [ ]; specialist skill to study next → [ ].

Misconception correction audit for Developmental Editing: shortcut or assumption → [ ]; why it fails here → [ ]; corrective move → [ ]; principle that must remain true → [ ]; goal-based next skill → [ ].

Failure-mode and reader-intent audit for Developmental Editing: visible symptom → [ ]; likely underlying problem → [ ]; reader need → [ ]; competing technique considered → [ ]; correction → [ ]; evidence/genre/format constraint → [ ]; final verification → [ ].

Boundary-and-tool-choice audit for Developmental Editing: reader objection → [ ]; actual writing job → [ ]; evidence/genre/format boundary → [ ]; tempting alternative → [ ]; why it is the wrong tool here → [ ]; correct adjustment → [ ]; final verification → [ ].

Evidence/support and mastery ladder for Developmental Editing: minimum acceptable → [ ]; strong → [ ]; expert → [ ]; audience/genre constraint → [ ]; evidence or story support → [ ]; boundary that would require a different technique → [ ].

Certainty and expert-exception audit for Developmental Editing: statement or choice → [ ]; evidence/canon/authority supporting it → [ ]; confidence level → [ ]; uncertainty that must be named → [ ]; expert exception → [ ]; nearest alternative technique → [ ]; why the final choice fits better → [ ].

Purpose-and-verification decision audit for Developmental Editing: real writing job → [ ]; plausible choice A → [ ]; plausible choice B → [ ]; downstream consequence of each → [ ]; facts/evidence/canon to verify → [ ]; reader or genre boundary → [ ]; final purpose-fit reason → [ ].

Publication-readiness audit for Developmental Editing: claim/advice/example → [ ]; strongest available source tier → [ ]; important disagreement or uncertainty → [ ]; what would change the conclusion → [ ]; publish now / qualify / revise / hold → [ ]; final verifier or source of truth → [ ].

Provenance and classification audit for Developmental Editing: draft statement/example → [ ]; classify as fact / interpretation / recommendation / convention / original example → [ ]; source or internal provenance → [ ]; source date / version / checked date → [ ]; attribution needed → [ ]; recency risk → [ ]; final publishable wording → [ ].

Source-record and update audit for Developmental Editing: statement / example → [ ]; external fact, project fact, interpretation, recommendation, convention, or original example → [ ]; controlling first-party / primary source → [ ]; secondary source if used → [ ]; source record / locator → [ ]; date or version checked → [ ]; update trigger → [ ]; publish / qualify / revise / hold → [ ].

Source-ledger and revision-history audit for Developmental Editing: claim / recommendation / example → [ ]; source or project record ID → [ ]; source status active / superseded / corrected / retracted / retired → [ ]; claim-level last verified date/version → [ ]; event that triggered recheck → [ ]; correction / withdrawal action → [ ]; reader-facing disclosure needed? → [ ]; what changed and why → [ ]; prior wording/version retained at → [ ].

Claim/source status audit: Item [claim/source/example] | Status [active / review due / stale / corrected / retracted / superseded] | Controlling source/version [x] | Last verified [date/version] | Stale trigger [x] | Correction severity [0–3] | Reader disclosure [none / note / correction / withdrawal] | Changelog entry [what changed + why].

Dependency and propagation audit: Claim / example / recommendation [x] | Controlling source / project record [x] | Dependency strength [direct / shared / advisory / independent] | Review trigger / reason code [x] | Needs-review scope [local / direct dependents / cluster] | Replacement source requirements [x] | Carry-forward decision [x] | Propagation targets [x] | Reader disclosure / changelog action [x].

Persistent editorial registry audit: Topic slug → [ ]; claim UID/key → [ ]; source UID/key → [ ]; dependency UID + strength → [ ]; source status/version → [ ]; open review UID/reason/priority → [ ]; replacement source if any → [ ]; reviewer + resolution → [ ].

Developmental diagnosis: intended promise [x] | current manuscript promise [x] | largest gap [x] | evidence locations [x] | root cause [x] | revision options [x].

Editorial-letter core: strengths to protect [x] | primary issue [x] | why it matters [x] | manuscript evidence [x] | options [x] | revision order [x].

Chapter-function map: chapter [x] | reader/story job [x] | change produced [x] | dependency [x] | overlap [x] | action [keep/move/merge/cut/expand].

Plot causality audit: goal [x] → obstacle [x] → decision [x] → consequence [x] → changed strategy [x]; missing link [x].

Argument audit: central claim [x] | chapter claim [x] | evidence [x] | counterpressure [x] | implication [x] | unsupported leap [x].

Pacing map: section [x] | story/info change [x] | pressure/complexity [x] | repetition [x] | compression/expansion decision [x].

Character-function audit: character [x] | goal [x] | leverage [x] | decisions [x] | change [x] | scenes affected [x].

Audience-gap audit: assumed knowledge [x] | target reader likely knows [x] | missing bridge [x] | material to cut because overexplained [x].

Priority matrix: must solve first [x] | depends on it [x] | high value independent change [x] | optional experiment [x] | defer to line/copy [x].

Revision-option note: problem [x] | option A [x] | tradeoff [x] | option B [x] | tradeoff [x] | author decision needed [x].

Post-revision check: root issue resolved? [x] | new gap introduced? [x] | chapter/scene order stable? [x] | ready for line work? [x].

Scope boundary: developmental issue [x] | sentence-level symptom [x] | do not line-edit yet because [dependency] | later pass [x].