editorial · writing · thinking
Deep Structure Workshop
tracing patterns back to their roots
Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash
About
I'm Brianna Veres, a lifelong hobbyist writer, a professional mental health counselor specializing in work with queer and neurodivergent folks for nearly a decade, and a newly emerging professional fiction editor and sensitivity consultant. At a deeper level than any of that, though, what I am is someone who thinks in terms of systems and patterns. In whatever work I'm doing, I look for the deep structure, the relationships between elements rather than just the elements themselves.
I believe that, to paraphrase the great naturalist Tristan Gooley, everything in the world is connected to everything else through a sophisticated web of relationships, and when we allow ourselves to deeply understand any one thing, we can learn to understand everything. We begin to see what Aboriginal thinker Tyson Yunkaporta calls the "pattern of creation." This is the way of thinking I have dedicated my life to cultivating.
Deep Structure Workshop is my name for this lifelong project, and everything that emerges from it that I choose to share with the public. The overarching goal of Deep Structure Workshop is to map systems, diagnose where they aren't working, and identify ways to restructure them into new forms that thrive. I take this lens to everything I look at, from thing as small as the words in a single sentence, to things as large as the institutions of our civilization itself.
Editing and Consulting Services
I offer fiction editing and consulting services through Fiverr. I call myself a "newly emerging professional" in this field because I am new to doing this for money, but I've been editing my own and my friends' writing as a hobby for free for most of my life. I am a thorough, methodical editor who's been told I "think of everything." Some of that is my systems thinking lens which leads me to ask how disparate pieces are related to and affect each other, and some of it is my expertise as a therapist which has sharpened my eye for psychological dynamics and the patterns in people's output that they can't see themselves. Suffice it to say, I've spent my life working with and inside of stories, and I'd love to help you with yours. Feel free to contact me by e-mail or by messaging me on Fiverr if you have a request that falls outside of my offerings below.
I specialize in working with queer indie fiction of all genres, but especially romance, erotica, fantasy, sci-fi, and literary fiction. For my sensitivity reading and consulting services, my particular focus is on LGBTQ+ (especially transgender) and neurodivergent characters, characters experiencing mental illness, or stories touching on mental healthcare in general. That being said, I would happily explore outside of my comfort zone for any author who was interested in working with me.
A note on pricing: As I said, editing was a hobby for me long before I ever thought to make it a career. I'm confident my work reflects my many years of experience, but I don't yet have enough formal editing work under my belt to prove that to anyone who hasn't already worked with me. As such, I've deliberately set my initial rates on Fiverr low, far lower than I think the services are worth (and frankly, lower than is sustainable for the amount of labor I put into every project I work on). Right now, my focus is on building relationships with serious authors, strengthening my portfolio, and establishing a professional reputation. As demand for my services grows over time, you can expect my rates to increase accordingly. What that means is, if you're considering working with me, you should know that right now is probably the cheapest it will ever be to do so!
Beta Reading
I will read your story and write a 1000-word reader report covering pacing, character, plot, my overall impressions, and any other area you want specific feedback on. For an extra fee, you can get a double-length reader report (closer to a developmental editor's editorial letter) and/or line editing on up to 5000 words. Starting at $15 for stories up to 10,000 words.
View on Fiverr →
Developmental Editing
I will read your story and write a comprehensive editorial letter focusing on high-level feedback on your story's structure, consistency, character writing, and theme, breaking down what's working and what's not. For an extra fee, you can also get detailed inline annotations to see my developmental notes exactly where they're relevant. Starting at $100 for stories up to 50,000 words, with a 5000-word sample available for $15.
View on Fiverr →
Line Editing & Proofreading
My premier editing service, where I do deep work on your story's prose, including comprehensive proofreading and line-by-line annotations to suggest improvements in flow, clarity, word choice, and style. For an extra fee, you can add on a developmental editing pass before I start line edits and/or up to 10,000 words of rewrites. Starting at $225 for stories up to 50,000 words, with proofreading only available at a lower rate and a 5000-word sample available for $20.
View on Fiverr →
Sensitivity Reading
For those looking for assistance in writing queer, neurodivergent, or mentally ill characters, I offer sensitivity reading and consulting services, either as an asynchronous Q&A or a sensitivity report on up to 100,000 words of your writing, with inline annotations on your manuscript available for an extra fee. Starting at $85 for stories up to 100,000 words, with the Q&A available for only $25.
View on Fiverr →For more intensive projects spanning multiple services, feel free to request a custom offer!
Portfolio
Writing
Novel · In progress
Human Contact (working title)
In the works since 2019 is what I plan to be my debut novel, a queer literary fiction story about the cost of allowing oneself to be a conduit for others' suffering. The protagonist is Sofia Rose, an 18-year-old trans woman navigating her emerging adulthood, romance, grief, abuse... and low-level psychic abilities. Stay tuned for a sneak peek as the novel nears publication (currently about 75% complete).
Substack · Essays
The Way Down from the Tower
My Substack newsletter where I write on navigating social collapse in the age of failing systems, changing climate, mass alienation, and disenchantment. This is currently the most revealing look you can get at how I write and think, including my unique perspectives on religion and politics as an anarchist and animist.
Read on Substack →