Category Archives: Writing

How I edit my stories I love hearing about different writers’ processes. I’ve already chatted a bit about how I write a first draft, but this time I want to talk about how I edit my books from unholy first drafts to readable, polished stories. This is just how I do it, so please don’tContinue reading “Edit”

Some more detail about my editing services I genuinely love working with other writers to help them make their writing stronger. I have worked with writers who have penned several books or just one, those who are agented and those who are dreaming of being on shelves, those who have polished their manuscript for yearsContinue reading “Options”

Get tough… or don’t I can be downright mean to myself when I don’t meet my writing goals. I don’t sit down when I’d planned to and I tell myself I’m wasting precious time. I don’t manage to edit as many chapters as I wanted to and I feel like I’m desperately behind. The wordsContinue reading “Tough”

Thoughts about writing during this strange time I keep going through periods of wildly fluctuating productivity with my writing. Or maybe that’s not strictly true. My output might stay the same, but a chapter can take me half an hour to edit or a whole morning. And writing feels easy, the ideas flow, or itContinue reading “Sustain”

Why I began writing – the origin story I always wanted to be a writer. Books were my refuge when I was small. Authors like Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, and Jill Murphy were my heroes. My writing tastes diversified as I grew, diving into Malorie Blackman, Louise Rennison, and Jane Austen. I read widely andContinue reading “Start”

Don’t let comparison titles steal your joy There is a lot of talk about using comparison titles in query letters to agents and it can feel like a minefield. How do you find the right things to compare your book to and why go to all that effort? The main reason – they are aContinue reading “Comparison”

What is a critique partner? A critique partner is someone who gives detailed feedback on your writing. Unlike beta readers, these are people you swap stories with. There is a bigger element of give-and-take in this relationship, and it is one I have found incredibly valuable. To give more of an insight into what aContinue reading “Partner”

The writing of a first draft I have just finished writing the first draft of a story. I feel like doing a jig. For anyone who has ever completed a first draft – you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t YET – it is well worth all the hours putContinue reading “Words”