Author: Michelle

Bullet journal: Yearly plan spread

Bullet journal: Yearly plan spread

Posted by | Jul 2, 2018 | ,

I thought I would open my bullet journal with my yearly goals, which are pretty much the same year on year (although the real reason for writing this post so soon after the first is because my publicize (auto-post connection with social media) hasn’t been working and I’m testing it. Anyway, there is nothing in this spread you won’t have heard me talking about at one point or another. (I’ve ticked the one about raising prices because I’ve already done that this year and I’m not going through it again (not this year, at least). This is the spread...

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A new way of organising my time

A new way of organising my time

Posted by | Jul 2, 2018 | ,

My website ‘about me’ page introduces the fact that I am a writer (unpublished), editor, and reader. I am also a geek and love software, computers, and website design… oh, and gardening when I have the time. (You can’t beat the taste of strawberries and cherry tomatoes fresh out the garden, or the fascination of watching a pumpkin grow from a tiny seed into something you can carve up for Halloween). On top of this, I have a husband, two children with autism, two hyper dogs, and three budgies. It’s a busy and often hectic (lively) household, yet I...

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A new approach and an introduction

A new approach and an introduction

Posted by | Jun 28, 2018 | ,

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about my editing business, more specifically about how far it’s come and how far I can take it. While it has certainly come a long way from the days of offering free edits in exchange for experience and testimonials for my website, I’m don’t think I can take it much further on my own, not without raising prices and increasing clients waiting times, at least. Neither of which I want to do at this stage. I’ve often joked about needing a clone or two to help tackle my ever-increasing workload, but...

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A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Movement

A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Movement

Posted by | Apr 18, 2018 | ,

M is for Movement Today’s post is about movement, namely how a character might move through a scene (from one location to another), and how a scene might move to a new location within a chapter. It will also cover the montage technique, which is commonly used in screenplays but can work in fiction too. As a developmental editor, one of the things I like to do is find an author’s favourite words and phrases (crutch words). Once they come to my attention, the rest of them might just as well have been writing in neon, flashing ink (or print),...

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A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Life experience (aka how to tackle backstory)

A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Life experience (aka how to tackle backstory)

Posted by | Apr 16, 2018 | ,

L is for Life experience (aka, how to tackle backstory) Every character – from those in the starring role(s) to the lowly alien with a brief appearance on page fifty-six of book three – has dreams and aspirations. As in real life, our life experience (backstory) contributes towards the person we are today, and the same holds true for characters. Who they are now, and where they want to be, depends on their life experience, dreams, and aspirations. These are the elements that drive a character forward, that dictate their choices and behaviour.  Some characters will achieve their goals, others...

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