Work – J.Robertsson

01 · Editorial demonstration

My editing
in action.

Here, I’ll give you a quick sense of what to expect of one of my edits.

Harvest Day Editorial demonstration

Waves rolled across the grain , golden in the late afternoon August sun. The zephyrs carried the notes of grasshoppers and crickets, the scents of fiber and earth, and the faint anise of the goldenrods lining the fields.

Sat in a rocking chair upon the porch of the farmhouse, the old man drew Suggested: The old man sat rocking on the farmhouse porch, drawing… a deep breath through his nose. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the radio had just said it wouldn’t be for another couple of days.

“Harvest tomorrow!” he called out.

“What’s that, Dad?”

A younger version of the old man stepped out on the porch carrying two glasses of lemonade, glittering with condensation.

“Oh, nothing,” grunted the old man. “ Just letting them know. Harvest tomorrow! Keep ”

Begin the edit

Scroll to follow my editorial pass of this excerpt, step by step. I always work with a combination of edit suggestions, in-line commentary, and an editorial report.

Strength · Preserve

This is a strong opening image. Since it doesn’t feature a character yet, it gives us the sense that the landscape is a kind of character in its own, setting the tone for the story.

Diction · Consider

The sensory layering works, particularly the anise scent of the goldenrod. However, the density of the paragraph might get in the way of the reader’s sensory experience. Prioritize clarity over eloquence; make them hear, smell, and feel.

Consider: “The breeze carried the chirr of grasshoppers and crickets, the scents of wheat chaff and earth…”

Clarity · Suggested revision

Beginning the sentence on the character makes it easier for the reader to orient themselves in the image. “Upon the porch of the farmhouse” also has a more formal feel to it than the rest of the prose.

Reader question · Clarify

Since the harvest depends on the clear weather, it might be better to go with less ambiguity.

Consider: “…the radio said the rain would hold off for another couple of days.”

Narrative voice · Consider

This effectively establishes the family resemblance but the phrasing is a bit conspicuous. That may suit the story’s gently uncanny tone, though, so I would consider it rather than automatically replacing it.

Story function · Keep

The repetition changes the meaning here. The first announcement appears eccentric; the added “them” transforms it into a promise—or a warning. This is where the scene introduces some real tension. Is he talking to someone in the field? As a reader, I’m hooked!

The editorial principle

Editing is not the process of changing everything. It is the process of understanding what each choice does to the reader—and how to make it the best reading experience possible.

Strong opening image. Preserve it as the scene’s visual anchor.
Consider being less abstract so the sensory specifics stand out.
Start the sentence on the old man for greater clarity.
Clarify that the forecast refers to rain.
Consider whether “a younger version” suits the gently uncanny voice.
Keep the final repetition: “them” gives the scene its tension.
Editing means understanding what each choice does to the reader.

Composite case studies

Different stories.
Familiar problems.

Every manuscript is different, and so is every edit. But certain problems stay the same, they just show up in different forms—and solving them begins with understanding what the reader is actually experiencing.

These are composite examples based on recurring patterns I come across as an editor. They do not reproduce any individual client’s manuscript or report.

Developmental edit · Novel

THE STORY THAT WOULDN’T START

A very compelling central conflict was stowed away beneath several chapters of context, setup and character history.

What the reader experienced

The opening showed some strong prose and interesting exposition, but lacked urgency or a clear dramatic question to propel the reader forward. The manuscript appeared to be about one thing before revealing the true story much later—when most readers would have already lost interest.

THE EDITORIAL ANALYSIS

First, I identified the true premise, and what in the story could hook a reader with a clear promise of what was to come. I then isolated the dramatic beats, focusing on the plot catalyst, the break into the second act, and the midpoint. This built a list of new possible starting points that maximized reader engagement and intrigue.

THE SUGGESTION

By identifying the main dramatic question and the beats, I mapped out the points in the story where all that early information became relevant. Redistributed to the scenes where it mattered, it no longer stood between the reader and the actual start of the story.

Story entry
Escalation
Backstory
Pacing

Beta read · Character-driven fiction

THE CHARACTER THE READER COULDN’T CONNECT WITH

The protagonist’s decisions made logical sense for the plot, but the emotional motivations behind the decisions never shone through on the page.

THE READER EXPERIENCE

As a reader, I could explain the protagonist’s motivation for all their decisions, but never felt the emotions or reasoning behind each one. Every decision seemed to be an obvious conclusion, rather than the result of pressure, challenge, resistance, and shifting emotions.

THE EDITORIAL ANALYSIS

By figuring out what the character wanted, and what they truly needed, I could also see what may have gone through their mind before each major decision. The issue wasn’t more explanation, but more experiences for the character to internalize.

THE SUGGESTION

I mapped out the important beats of the plot and the character’s arc, then filled in suggestions for how they might react—and regroup. This built a loop of motivation, action, resistance, and reaction that exposed the character’s emotional drive. Suddenly, there was a lot of emotional processing for the reader to connect with.

Motivation
Interior movement
Relationships
Emotional impact

Opening pages · Query and pitch

THE MANUSCRIPT THAT DIDN’T KEEP THE PITCH’S PROMISE

The query synopsis made the reader expect one thing, while the opening of the manuscript delivered a different story—for a different audience.

What the reader experienced

Both versions were engaging to the reader, but for very different reasons. The main hook, focus, and tone of the query weren’t priming the reader for the actual reading experience of the manuscript.

THE EDITORIAL ANALYSIS

I compared the story promised in the pitch to what was actually in the manuscript, isolating the main conflict, the protagonist’s arc, and what about the story was most distinctive in matter of tone.

THE SUGGESTION

I made an edit of the pitch synopsis more clearly informed by the main story structure. My suggested changes aligned more with the manuscript, without making it sound simpler, or too different, from what was actually evident in complete story.

Hook
Reader promise
Positioning
Clarity

Cover of Vampire Hunters: A Record of Incomplete Accounts

Short story

Attrition

Published in Vampire Hunters: A Record of Incomplete Accounts

Horror
Speculation Publications
2025

Told through journals, letters, transcripts and personal testimony, Vampire Hunters assembles fragments from humanity’s long and hidden struggle against the creatures hunting it.

About the story

Captain William Connor Bryant served as a British Army Military Police Officer during World War 1. In 1917, he was tasked with finding a group of AWOL soldiers suspected of smuggling contraband threatening Swedish neutrality. What he uncovered was something far more sinister. This short story is his final diary.

View the anthology Read more of my fiction

“Like many of the stories in this anthology, Johan Robertsson’s ‘Attrition’ buries the vampire legend within the bloody horror of war. Robertsson’s clever, heartbreaking short comes from a voice so honorable and tragic that it’s hard to shake the story.”

Maddwolf Amazon review

Writing fiction keeps me close to the problems my clients face: finding the right structure, protecting the voice of the story, and turning words on a page into an experience that remains with the reader.

A working writer

Practice makes
persistent.

51 Stories began as an experiment in productivity. Starting in August 2025, I wrote one short story a week for a year.

Some stories are available to read on my Substack. Others have developed into stronger, revised work now out for submissions. Together, they form a proof of work spanning from horror to literary fiction.

01Write the story

02Shape it

03Get it out there

Available to read

Magical realism · Short fiction

Harvest Day

On the eve of harvest, a farmer keeps watch over his crops as something ancient and luminous begins moving through the wheat.

Read the story Watch my reading on YouTube

In circulation

Folk horror · Short fiction

When You Are Lost

A heartbroken traveller seeks refuge in a secluded mountain village, only to discover that its monstrous protector considers him the threat.

The complete story is currently unavailable while under consideration.

In circulation

Cosmic horror · Short fiction

The Harbinger

Cosmic horror where a scientific discovery suggests that the heavens we’ve been lookin up at stares back in judgement.

The complete story is currently unavailable while under consideration.

In circulation

Horror · Short fiction

The Maw of Hell Itself

In a letter, the owner of an abandoned mine is reminded of the horrible experience in the caverns that caused his amnesia in the first place.

The complete story is currently unavailable while under consideration.

Published

Historical horror · Short fiction

Attrition

A vampire story buried at the fringes of World War 1, told in a voice described as honorable, tragic and difficult to shake.

View the publication

Collection in development

Horror collection · Fourteen stories

Terrible Things That Should Not Be

Fourteen encounters with folk horror, hauntings, body horror and cosmic dread—culminating in a metafictional ritual that sends its horrors after the reader.

Complete manuscript · Currently out for querying.

My editing
in action.