Tag Archives: personalblog

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.”

My editing work is 100% fiction, but my testimonials are 100% fact.

Word clouds are so early 2000s 😅 But I made one because I was curious to see what words were being repeated in the testimonials written about me by my lovely authors. If you sense a bit of own horn tooting going on here, you’re absolutely right. Sorry about that! 📯 📯 Toot toot! ThisContinue reading “My editing work is 100% fiction, but my testimonials are 100% fact.”

It’s good to talk. Writers/editors, do you do enough of it?

Eighteen months on from going all-in with Cherry Edits, I’ve added time to talk into my schedule. Excuse me while I mix my metaphors… The majority of my week is still taken up with at-the-typeface edits: my bread and butter. And it’s good bread and good butter! I love the work I do – keepContinue reading “It’s good to talk. Writers/editors, do you do enough of it?”

Creative writing groups: they’re many and varied. Find the right one for you.

Who here attends in-person creative writing groups? 🙋‍♀️ TL;DR – They’re so varied. If you try one and don’t like it, try others. Here are some reflections on the creative writing groups I’ve attended over the years. ⭐ A weekly group in a Leeds cafe after closing, perhaps a Thursday evening. Great. Nice atmosphere. GoodContinue reading “Creative writing groups: they’re many and varied. Find the right one for you.”

My Top 5 Reads of 2023

I had intended to do my top reads of 2023 sooner. I’ve been thinking about it since the start of December. But it took me a while because I have kinda overcomplicated it…Last year I simply did a top fiction book and a top non-fiction one. This year I went for categories. Picking a topContinue reading “My Top 5 Reads of 2023”

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

💭 “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?”

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.”