Tag Archives: editing

Notebooks for ‘ink’sight. The KWL evaluation method is a writer’s secret weapon.

Evaluation is a skill you need wherever you are in your writing career. Use one of your many notebooks to identify what you Know, what you Want to know, and – once you’ve looked up the answers to your questions – what you’ve Learnt. If you’ve evaluated that your storytelling craft could use some work,Continue reading “Notebooks for ‘ink’sight. The KWL evaluation method is a writer’s secret weapon.”

Elevating Fictional Dialogue: When the unwritten rules of successful communication should be followed, and when they need to be broken.

In their studies, linguistics undergrads learn about Paul Grice‘s work on conversation, considering the Cooperative Principle and its maxims – four unwritten rules for successful verbal interaction: 💡 Quantity: Judge the right amount to say.🌐 Relevance: Keep your words pertinent to the conversation.🗣 Manner: Be clear, precise, and maintain order in communication.🤥 Quality: Tell theContinue reading “Elevating Fictional Dialogue: When the unwritten rules of successful communication should be followed, and when they need to be broken.”

‘Show don’t tell’ is a useful rule of thumb. Here are some easy wins.

Struggling to express your characters’ emotions without telling? Let me help! Here’s a sneak peek into a no-stress method. 👉 Negative emotion ‘tells’ to avoid: He felt frustrated. 🚫 They looked uncomfortable. 🚫 She was sad. 🚫 👍 Better to ‘show’: He grabbed his coat and left. ✔ They fidgeted in their seats. ✔ SheContinue reading “‘Show don’t tell’ is a useful rule of thumb. Here are some easy wins.”

Is it mantelpiece or mantlepiece?

Do you know your mantles from your mantels? I do, but Microsoft Word doesn’t. It NEVER flags ‘mantlepiece’ as an error. If you are attached to your mantlepiece (seek help! 🔗) you’re not alone. Merriam-Webster recommends ‘mantel’ (‘el’ like the ‘el’ of ‘shelf’ ) for the over-the-fireplace ledge, but it acknowledges that ‘mantle’ has been/isContinue reading “Is it mantelpiece or mantlepiece?”

Is your manuscript ready for a line and copy edit? Seven key indicators.

Discover the 7 signs your manuscript is ready for a line and copy edit. Get expert tips for a polished final draft.

Cherry Edits: Editing and proofreading scores on the doors. 🔢

I’ve been proofreading and editing for several years now. Here’s a brief overview of how much experience I’ve had. The first five years (part-time): ◽ 49 projects ◽ 2,132,069 words Year six (full-time): ◽ 23 projects ◽ 1,356,360 words Total so far: ◽ 72 projects ◽ 3,488,429 words Thank you to all the authors whoContinue reading “Cherry Edits: Editing and proofreading scores on the doors. 🔢”

When words cross borders. Are we on the same page about literary translations? Considerations as a reader, an educator, and an editor.

Discover the world of literary translations and gain insights as a reader, educator, and editor. Explore considerations, cultural perspectives, and the importance of staying true to the author’s intention. Join the conversation on words crossing borders in this thought-provoking blog post.

It’s an indie life for me, but I have a healthy respect for traditional publishing.

I bang on about indie publishing because it aligns with my values. But that doesn’t mean I have a problem with traditional publishing. For instance, I like to know how things are done in traditional publishing to make sure my indie clients get a professional service from me, even though they’ve not gone the tradContinue reading “It’s an indie life for me, but I have a healthy respect for traditional publishing.”