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How to Self-Edit a Novel
There are a few things an author can do to self-edit a novel and tighten up a manuscript, even if they are intending to use an editor. It may well reduce the time an editor needs to spend on a manuscript (which, in turn, may reduce the fee), but, more…
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MS Word Track Changes Webinar
I’ve produced this MS Word Track Changes Webinar to help authors demystify the editing process. I’m aware that many authors will not have come across MS Word Track Changes. Before I became an editor, I considered myself to be an expert in MS Word, but I had never used the…
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Kind Fiction Editing – part 1: What is it?
What is Kind Fiction Editing? It’s kind to you (the author), but tough on your manuscript! It’s possible to edit a manuscript and provide detailed, honest, sensible feedback in a kind and supportive way. Does kind editing mean going easy on your manuscript? Absolutely not! Writing a book can be…
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Kind Fiction Editing – part 2: Editing adapted to suit you.
I believe that editing can be kind as well as honest, and in this second blog about Kinder Fiction Editing, I explain how I have adapted my editing process to suit the differing needs of the authors I work with. Also see part one of Kind Fiction Editing – Is…
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Kind Fiction Editing – part 3: Is my writing good enough?
Are you worried about handing over your manuscript? Do you think your writing might not be good enough? Are you concerned that an editor will judge you and your writing? Are you wondering, “Is my writing good enough?” In this final part of a three-part series of blog posts about…
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Reducing Repetition and Redundancy in Your Novel
Make Your Writing Tighter, part 4 How to identify and remove repetition and redundancy in your fiction writing. You might have heard the phrase ‘make every word count’. And you might have heard that ‘tight writing is good writing‘. But what do these phrases actually mean? What constitutes ‘tight writing’?…
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How to Stop Over-Describing in Your Novel
Make Your Writing Tighter, part 3 Newer authors often fall into the trap of over-describing, but how do you avoid over-describing (and generally overwriting) in novels? You might have heard the phrase ‘make every word count’. And you might have heard that ‘tight writing is good writing‘. But what do…
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Get Rid of Then, Before and While in Your Novel
Make Your Writing Tighter, part 2 How to avoid OVERWRITING in fiction novels by looking at excessive timeline nudges. You might have heard the phrase ‘make every word count’. And you might have heard that ‘tight writing is good writing‘. But what do these phrases actually mean? What constitutes ‘tight…
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Stage Direction in Your Novel
Make Your Writing Tighter, part 1 Too much stage direction in your novel can be information overload. You might have heard the phrase ‘make every word count’. And you might have heard that ‘tight writing is good writing‘. But what do these phrases actually mean? What constitutes ‘tight writing’? And…
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What Are Beta Readers?
(And Why Should All Novelists Use Them?) Find out what Beta Readers do, how much they cost, and where to find them! What is a Beta Reader? Put simply, a beta reader is someone who will read your book before it is published and give you their opinion. Generally, they…
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Is Perfection Achievable?
Do you want to know how to write the perfect novel? All of my clients want to publish books that are as good as they can possibly be. You have put hours and hours (and hours!) of work into your book. You have probably invested a huge amount of emotional…
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What Even is DIALOGUE? What is dialogue in a novel? It’s how you represent the way your characters are speaking. In books, it tends to be encased within either ‘single quotes’ (common in the UK), or “double quotes” (common in the US). There are many rules relating to dialogue and…
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MS Word Shortcut Keys
A list of the most commonly used Microsoft Word Shortcut keys. This post is also available as a download. When you’re in the midst of typing your book, you will find yourself using the same commands over and over again. If each time it takes you a few seconds to…
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What is Dialogue Within Dialogue?
Dialogue is just another word for speech. Generally, dialogue is separated from standard text using inverted commas (also known as speech marks). These can be either single ( ‘ and ’ ) or double ( “ and ” ). Which style an author chooses is down to personal choice, although…
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What is Phonetic Dialogue?
Is it OK to write speech phonetically (phonetic dialogue) to illustrate an accent or lisp? The answer, as with pretty much everything else, is ‘it depends’. There is a time and place for differentiating characters based on how they speak – for example to indicate a different social background or…
