Good writing moves up and down the ladder of abstraction, ranging between vivid specifics at the bottom to intangible abstractions – such as love, friendship, betrayal – at the top. Hovering around the middle rungs makes writing dry and bureaucratic. Embracing the range helps you simplify the complex, and ensures that your prose touches both ground and sky!

Before you dive into formatting your manuscript, do this: pull a novel or two from your bookshelf and flick through the pages.

Elizabeth Strout is known for her abilty to layer characterisation; she does this masterfully, even in Amy and Isabelle, her debut novel. Reading her fiction is a real lesson in developing character through sentence construction . Here, I've picked out a few of Strout's strategies that are particularly effective - and can be mimicked!

The colon can be a pesky piece of punctuation – it’s definitely caused me a few head-scratching moments over the years.  If, like me, you went to school in the days when teaching grammar was seriously out of fashion, you might find yourself unwittingly misusing the colon. It wasn’t until I trained as an English teacher - many moons ago – that I gained a handle on it. As an editor and proofreader, the colon is now part of my everyday bread and butter. I’ve become fond of it - when it behaves itself and doesn’t rear its head too often.

Ever catch yourself using words like felt, thought, or realised? These sneaky filter words can put a wall between your reader and your story. The good news? Spotting and trimming them is like discovering a hidden tool for making your writing stronger, sharper, and more immersive. This post shows you how to recognise filter words, when to keep them, and when to ditch them—so your scenes grab readers and don’t let go.

Here's a short story I submitted to Reedsy a couple of years ago. It was shortlisted but didn't win, unfortunately. I'm repurposing it here – use it to develop your critiquing skills (theme, characterisation, and plot are all ripe for sharpening), or to practise editing skills – or just read it!

When it comes to storytelling, one of the most essential distinctions to understand is the difference between story and plot. This blog will unpack that distinction, explore the relationship between story and character, and introduce you to the 10 fundamental story types. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this guide will help you create compelling narratives. The ideas discussed here reflect some of the lessons I learned during a University of Cambridge course, 'Building Your Screenplay' - but they apply equally to fiction!

Creating characters that resonate with readers is an essential skill for any fiction writer. In this blog, we’ll explore how to bring characters to life using two powerful tools: the character profile and the three building blocks of dimensional characterisation. By the end, you’ll have practical steps to make your characters leap off the page. The ideas discussed here reflect some of the lessons I learned during a University of Cambridge course, 'Building Your Screenplay' - but they apply equally to fiction!

Alongside character and plot, theme is one of your story’s most essential elements when crafting fiction. A clear theme serves as a unifying thread, binding together the various strands of your narrative. Each character may embark on their own unique journey, yet the theme offers cohesion, giving your story depth and resonance.

As a proofreader, I pride myself on catching what others may miss—those pesky typos, awkward phrasings, and inconsistencies that can undermine even the best writing. But no matter how skilled or experienced the proofreader, relying on instinct or a quick read-through is rarely enough. A structured proofreading process ensures nothing slips through the cracks and helps maintain the high standards clients expect.

Mastering these shortcuts can streamline your proofreading workflow, letting you focus on what matters most: producing a polished and error-free document. 

Where the written word is concerned, clarity and precision are paramount. However, achieving this can sometimes be challenging - especially when writing becomes cluttered with unnecessary repetitions. One common culprit that contributes to clutter is tautology. In this post, we'll delve into the meaning of tautology, explore its impact on your writing, and provide tips on how to identify and eliminate it.