Hey, writers. I’ve got some questions for you about the very popular writing craft book: ‘Save The Cat! Writes A Novel’ by Jessica Brody. 💬 Here’s what the Amazon blurb says about this book: ‘Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to theContinue reading “Is ‘Save The Cat! Writes a Novel’ a formula or a framework?”
Tag Archives: personalblog
Books about where you live: Do they paint an accurate picture?
A short review of Tom Chesshyre’s Lost in the Lakes’ This book. 🤩 Oh yes! Right up my street — or, more accurately, my old stomping ground. I finished this over the weekend and loved it. I’m not so sure that this cover (as lovely as it is) quite encapsulates the feel of this travelogue,Continue reading “Books about where you live: Do they paint an accurate picture?”
The Value of Community in Writing and Editing | A Gratitude Post
✨ A Gratitude Post to See Out the Week ✨ I joined a Zoom meeting the other night and felt nervous while waiting. It was a writers’ group, and their agenda mentioned editing. I thought it might be helpful to join, hoping I could offer something valuable to the discussion. Even if I stayed quiet,Continue reading “The Value of Community in Writing and Editing | A Gratitude Post”
Achievement unlocked 🎉 I’m a professional editor and I’ve got the badge to prove it!
This is pretty epic for me… The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading have upgraded me to Professional Member status. When I was a newbie editor, I was on their ‘entry level’ membership. After I’d completed some courses with them, I moved up to ‘intermediate’ level. And then I stayed at intermediate for several yearsContinue reading “Achievement unlocked 🎉 I’m a professional editor and I’ve got the badge to prove it!”
What this editor wants to know from the word go and why this enquiry ticks many boxes
Here’s what I love about this email that landed in my inbox this morning. ⭐ ‘Indie author’: I’m all about the indies, and I love helping early-career authors. 📞 ‘Someone suggested I contact you’: Excellent. I love to hear from people who’ve come to me via word-of-mouth recommendations. 💬 ‘Would love to chat’: Me too.Continue reading “What this editor wants to know from the word go and why this enquiry ticks many boxes”
Talking to an editor: enrichment for all!
Apparently, talking to me is ‘enriching’! I’ve just come off a Zoom call with the student newspaper group at Notre Dame College in Leeds. I was invited along to talk about my job as an editor. What I really wanted to do was to set my job in context and to show the Year 12sContinue reading “Talking to an editor: enrichment for all!”
Between the lines: Cherry Edits off the books.
I live and breathe books: that’s true. And a bookish life is the best life of all. But like all the best novels, worldbuilding matters. Today, I’ll share a wider view of what I get up to when I’m not editing. Claire Cronshaw bakes! I’m a basic baker. I often use the cook book that’sContinue reading “Between the lines: Cherry Edits off the books.”
It’s late. You’re reading. You’ll treat youself to the next chapter if… (Poll)
This poll was surprisingly tricky to construct; we all read at different speeds and perhaps our format choice affects our answer… So please take this poll as a jumping-off point, really. I’m interested to hear what the cut-off is when you’re at the end of a chapter and you decide whether or not you wantContinue reading “It’s late. You’re reading. You’ll treat youself to the next chapter if… (Poll)”
Crafting connections: the power of social opportunities for people-person writers and editors.
Social energy is poweful. As a people-person writer, embrace opportunities for interaction. Not all writers are introverts. Gain inspiration from coffee meetups, virtual accountability groups, and writers’ cafes. Let social interactions fuel your creativity and propel your writing forward.
The Promise of the Premise. A lesson for authors from the Willy Wonka Experience.
Leap week was a gift, was it not? Not only were we given the gift of an extra day, but we were given the gift that kept on giving – and that was news of the farcical Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow in all its technicolour (and muted grey) glory. The short version of theContinue reading “The Promise of the Premise. A lesson for authors from the Willy Wonka Experience.”
CherryEdits 