As Colin Nissan points out in The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do:
‘There are two things more difficult than writing. The first is editing, the second is expert level Sudoku where there’s literally two goddamned squares filled in.’
And while we’re numbering things … these three things will help you to write your best:
- Write often and keep writing.
- Get feedback, judge the quality of that feedback, and use it if it’s up to scratch.
- Develop a working, trusting (loving might be going a bit far) relationship with a professional reader.*
My qualifications
- In-house and freelance editor with over 15 years experience
- Mentorship program graduate, Queensland Society of Editors
- Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing (University of Queensland)
- Bachelor of Arts in Literature (University of Queensland)
See also, The Invisible Mend, my now-retired project blog about all things editing.
*That’s another name for a trained editor, in case you’re wondering, not just someone who lies on a bed all day consuming end-to-end Mills and Boon novels. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that. So long as the bed is hoisted into the treetops.)
Photographer: Raoul Teague
Clare Murphy 