Are you prone to pet words or phrases? In every manuscript I’ve worked on, I’ve invariably found some word or phrase that’s overused by the writer. And, like a verbal tic, they probably didn’t even realise they were doing it! At the end of every proofread or edit, I create a report to send to […]
So, you’ve got a great story idea and you’re champing at the bit, all ready to start? Stop! Before you type that first word you have an important decision to make… Are you writing in US English or British English? You may think this is not the most important decision on the list but believe […]
I began my newspaper career in the 1970s, as a copy runner at the Liverpool Echo. It was the days of hot metal, typewriters, Chinagraph pencils and shouts of “Copy up!” We sent typewritten sheets through suction tubes, from the subs room to the comps, and although I was just a tiny cog, I felt […]
Recently an author friend asked me to take on a different role, that of a beta reader for his newly completed book. As a reviewer for CrimeFictionLover I’m used to expounding my opinions on the latest novels, but this was criticism taken to a new level. I began my first read with trepidation. What should […]
On my first day as a junior reporter at the now defunct Prescot and Huyton Reporter, I was taught a valuable lesson. My editor, who I’ll call ‘Brian’, was of the old school and as I arrived nervously in his office that first morning, he informed he that I had a ‘night job’ that very […]
