This Itch of Writing

Should you pay for a copy-edit? For other editorial help?

I often get enquiries asking if I would do "a copy-edit" of a writer's manuscript. The answer is No, because it's a specialist job which I'm not trained for. But almost always it turns out that what the writer really wants is nothing like what the book trade calls copy-editing, but something much more developmental. So, first let's be clear: unless you are intending to self-publish, you don't need to have your book copy-edited. But there are all sorts of other processes that writers and publishers put a book through, and it's worth understanding them - especially as NaNoWriMo heads... Read more →

Should I do a Creative Writing MA?

I've blogged about whether, and when, a course in Creative Writing might be a good idea, and about how to choose the right one for you. And if you're wondering whether, and how, Creative Writing can be taught, this unpicks that hardy perennial of a question. But a quick search on the UCAS website shows 459 Masters-level courses in Creative Writing. True, part-time and full-time versions of the same course are being listed separately, but the darned things cost a fortune these days (though student loans are these days available for both part- and full-time study). So, assuming you're thinking... Read more →