Where to Begin
Are you ready to begin writing your story? Are you finally done with your first draft and ready to revise? Wherever you are in your process and whichever editorial services you choose, my feedback is designed to be extensive and meticulously detailed, tailored to your needs no matter where you are in your writing journey or how much of your manuscript you have completed. I concentrate on the most crucial elements of your story—its narrative arc, voice, structure, pacing, and dramatic tension. Each time I review your work, I evaluate it as a cohesive whole, identifying the strengths that are already present and the areas that need further development. My suggestions are always aimed at enhancing your material, focusing on uncovering the heart of your story and exploring all the creative opportunities it offers.
Throughout our collaboration, I will highlight both what is clearly expressed and what remains beneath the surface, providing you with both editorial distance and a fresh, outside perspective. These insights are essential for effective revision and growth as a writer. When necessary, I offer minor editorial advice on aspects such as word choice, sentence structure, readability, and narrative flow, utilizing Word’s track changes feature. However, my services do not include copy editing or proofreading; my primary focus is always on the story itself.
Ultimately, I strive to give you a clear and actionable path for revision, addressing both the big-picture and detailed elements of your manuscript. Additionally, I am happy to recommend further reading that is relevant to your work or suggest narrative and structural models that may inspire your writing.
Editorial Philosophy and Experience
My journey to becoming an editor has been shaped by curiosity, creativity, and an enduring passion for meaningful storytelling. My background includes experience in translation, which taught me the power of language nuances in shaping a story’s emotional resonance. I have also studied communications, literature, and cultural anthropology—fields that have enriched my understanding of how stories are influenced by and reflect broader cultural contexts.
What motivates me is a genuine desire to find and nurture the heart of your story: the voice, the energy, and the purpose that make it distinct. I dedicate myself to what matters most in your manuscript, whether that means sharpening your narrative arc or distilling the essence of your narrator. My feedback is always constructive, supportive, and personalized to help you evolve as a writer, all while maintaining the integrity of your vision. Having worked across a range of genres, I have developed a deep ability to listen—not just to your words, but to your intentions—and to meet you wherever you are in your creative process.
I view editing as a collaborative partnership founded on trust and understanding. My aim is to provide insightful guidance and fresh perspectives, empowering you to shape your manuscript in a way that honors its originality and realizes its full potential. Together, we will chart a clear path forward, one that centers your unique voice and enables you to tell the story only you can tell.
“Sylvie deeply connects with your narrative and provides unparalleled expertise to help you capture your ‘why’ and bring your memoir to life. Working with Sylvie has been a truly transformative experience. I am incredibly grateful for having such a phenomenal instructor and mentor in my corner!“
Toni S.
Memoir Weekend Intensive (NYC)
In collaboration with Cagibi, I am launching a monthly Memoir Weekend Intensive, beginning January 24 & 25, 2026. This hybrid in-person / online intensive is for Memoir writers who have already begun writing a first draft and need help and support to finish it, or, for those who have written a first draft and want feedback and suggestions to begin revising it. This workshop will focus on finding the emotional core of your story. We will work at teasing out the narrative threads of your story, the themes, motifs, and the overall intention that makes a personal narrative cohesive and engaging. Following the framework offered by master of nonfiction Vivian Gornick, we will work together at identifying the situation and the story, and pinpointing what she calls the main insight that underlies and propels any great personal narrative forward.
A bit about me…
My name is Sylvie. I am a writer, editor, and teacher based in Brooklyn NY. I have been teaching Fiction and Memoir workshops at The Writers Studio since 2018. I love to help writers connect more deeply to their material through The Writers Studio’s focus on craft and narrative voice.
If you want to read a writing tip I wrote for Cleaver Magazine, click here.
I am also the proud co-founding editor of Cagibi, a literary journal invested in sharing the universal human experiences to be found in works of prose and poetry set within places unfamiliar to readers, and with an expressed interest in international literature and works in translation.
My stories and poems have appeared in Peregrine Journal, Epiphany, Cleaver Magazine, Alexandria Quarterly, and December magazine, among others. I received a Pushcart Special Mention in 2018 and was a finalist for the 2019 Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize, judged by Kim Addonizio.
A native French speaker, I was born and grew up in Montreal. I have degrees in Communication and Literature (CEGEP, Montreal), Political Sciences (BA, Hunter College), and a MA in Cultural Anthropology (Princeton University).
Chilling in Lourmarin, a small village in Provence (photo credit: Felixe Ross)
SV Bertrand 