‘This was meant to be the year that I…’ Would I be right to assume you’re in a philosophical mood?

šŸ’­ “This was meant to be the year that I…” I’ve been thinking about an image. It shows a guy doing an about-turn. He’s mining for diamonds and he’s hunched over. He’s expended so much energy and he has no more reserves. But what he doesn’t realise is that there’s only a thin layer ofContinue reading “‘This was meant to be the year that I…’ Would I be right to assume you’re in a philosophical mood?”

Calling all aspiring or early-career SFF writers… Work on your story craft in 2024.

copy-of-calling-all-aspiring-or-earl-career-sff-writers Do you have a spare couple of hours free from the week beginning 29th January 2024? Join a small cohort of like-minded SFF writers for a self-paced, tutor-supported SFF storytelling course. Click here to secure your spot.

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! šŸ”—) 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. šŸ”¢

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): ā—½ 49 projects ā—½ 2,132,069 words Year six (full-time): ā—½ 23 projects ā—½ 1,356,360 words Total so far: ā—½ 72 projects ā—½ 3,488,429 words Thank you to all the authors whoContinue reading “Cherry Edits: Editing and proofreading scores on the doors. šŸ”¢”

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.”

What are metonyms? What are anaphoric references? And (why) do they matter in fantasy writing?

ā“ Do you know your metonyms from your anaphoric references? This week, some terminology that was relevant when I was teaching A level English language has popped into my head. It doesn’t really matter what these things are called, but what does matter is that these things are *things. One term was metonymy. The otherContinue reading “What are metonyms? What are anaphoric references? And (why) do they matter in fantasy writing?”