“If it sounds like writing,
I rewrite it.”
About Sophie
Sophie Flack is an author and freelance journalist based in New York City, best known for her novel Bunheads. Her words have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, O Magazine, The Weekly Standard, and Dance Magazine. Prior to Sophie’s writing career, she danced with the New York City Ballet, and has a BA from Columbia University. She is currently penning her memoir about navigating the adult world as an unsupervised teen in New York City. To avoid working on her book she enjoys helping other writers with their projects, figure drawing, weightlifting, and volunteering with vulnerable populations.
Editing
Cartoon by Tom Toro
My clients run the gamut: from debut authors in need of a skilled editor before approaching agents, to New York Times Bestselling authors with books already under contract.
I am drawn to strong female voices, humorists, and female-humorists, but I’m perfectly capable of editing humorless male writers as well.
I particularly enjoy working on memoir and literary fiction. Some of my favorite writers include: Nora Ephron, David Sedaris, Vladimir Nabokov, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen.
As an editorial consultant I approach each project with the same dedication, care, and focus as if it were my own. My background in analyzing literature as an undergrad, mentoring survivors of gender-based violence at Sanctuary for Families, and navigating the publishing world as a novelist, make me one fierce ally to any writer.
Clients are best served when they complete as much writing as possible prior to hiring me. After discussing what the client hopes to accomplish, I start by doing a close read of a hard copy. I then provide comprehensive feedback in the form of a letter which typically includes:
Global analysis and impressions
What works and what doesn't
Structural and conceptual notes
Suggestions
We review my letter in a meeting, and make a plan for how to proceed. Then the author goes away and does all the hard work implementing my suggestions (in a ghostwriting collaboration I do a bulk of the writing). And then I am typically hired on an hourly basis based on each client’s needs and what they’re able to accomplish on their own. When the manuscript is ready, I begin to narrow my focus down to the sentence level.
Featured Projects
1. Edited Oscar winning feature film Black Swan script for authenticity.
2. Edited early-stage manuscript of seasoned essayist writing her first novel.
3. Ghostwriter of #metoo novelistic memoir.
4. Writing coach to Youtube star on her book of personal essays on dating.
5. Edited TV writer’s debut novel.
Bunheads
published by Poppy / Little, Brown and Company
As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and comlicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But, when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, her universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the more common freedoms of everyday life?
Praise For Bunheads
"A measured, vibrant, un-melodramatic account... with a lively cast of literary soloists and corps de novel who present possible ways to survive, or not, as a dancer. Even the ballet-neutral will understand the conflict between career and personal life explored here, but this book will be absolutely irresistible to those who've always felt just one pirouette and years of ferocious training away from Margot Fonteyn."
—BCCB (starred review)
"She [Flack] brilliantly captures the arc from soaring ballerina to exhausted dancer collapsing in a pool of sweat...details have been changed, but fans of ballet will
nonetheless relish the inside scoop. A multi-layered and absorbing good read by a promising debut novelist."
– Kirkus (starred review)
"At turns riveting, hilarious and bittersweet, Bunheads provides a backstage pass into the world of elite New York City ballet dancers. I got swept up in their routines and habits, their triumphs and disappointments, and their deep friendships, which thrive even in the face of fierce competition. This is at once a romantic page-turner and a thoughtful exploration of just how much true artists are willing to give up for their art."
― J. Courtney Sullivan,
New York Times bestselling author
“A wholly captivating book with a compelling female lead and an honest portrait of her struggle to succeed.”
―The Cybils
(One of Best Young Adult Fiction Books for 2011, finalist)
"From the eyecatching cover-a kaleidoscopic overhead shot of tutu-clad ballet dancers-this first-person account of the difficult life a ballerina faces will enthrall readers."
– Booklist
"Readers, both dancers and "pedestrians" (the corps' term for nondancers), will find Hannah's struggle a gripping read."
Publishers Weekly
"Flack has written Hannah's story with an insider's knowledge and expertise. The result is an entertaining read, shedding light on a world most readers know nothing about."
SLJ
Other Writing
Work
with
me
For appearances or interviews please contact
BRETTNE BLOOM / THE BOOK GROUP
20 West 20th Street, Suite 601
New York, NY 10011
212-803-3360
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