Tag Archives: personaldevelopment

‘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.”

‘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?”

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.

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.”

Creative writing groups can help you find your voice.

I went out to a writers’ cafe last night and did some blackout poetry. (Also called redacted/erasure poetry.) It was super fun! I worked on maybe six or seven pieces. When I started, I was looking at what each piece of prose was telling me, but once I got going, I felt like I wasContinue reading “Creative writing groups can help you find your voice.”

‘How is it you’ve not had your fill of words after your day job, Claire?’

It’s leaving teaching that did it. I’ve read SO MUCH MORE since leaving teaching. I’ve always read for pleasure, but there were times in the past that I couldn’t focus. It’d take me six weeks to read a regular novel that I’d picked for myself. (As opposed to what I was teaching in class.) TheseContinue reading “‘How is it you’ve not had your fill of words after your day job, Claire?’”