Penny Carroll

Writer & Editor

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  • Editing, Writing

    4 signs you’re ready for a line and copyedit

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    A simple explainer to help you work out if a line and copyedit is what your novel needs now. So, you’ve written a novel. Now what?  You might be thinking about starting the editing process, and perhaps you’re keen to work with a professional editor. That’s an excellent decision (wink!) but before you go ahead […]

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  • Editing, Writing

    5 gifts to give your WIP this festive season

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    Slow down, chill out and experiment with your writing practice.

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  • Author interviews

    “Don’t wait for the perfect conditions” – Clare Fletcher on building writing momentum

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    There’s an iconic scene in Clare Fletcher’s debut novel Five Bush Weddings involving a steamy kiss and a thud as a meat pie drops to the ground, all but forgotten in the heat of the moment.  This hot/sweet/funny scene characterises Clare’s book, a rural rom-com that shakes off stereotypes to reveal a glimpse of modern […]

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  • Editing, How-to, Writing

    No words ever wasted: Why writing to rewrite isn’t a waste of time

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    Worried that all that writing is going to eventually end up in the bin? Here’s why your words are never wasted, even if they don’t make the final cut.

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  • Author interviews, Editing, Writing

    “I like to make people laugh, but I also want to make them feel” – Karina May on writing rom-coms, travelling for inspiration and dirty first drafts

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    Debut author Karina May was born to write rom-coms. She’s the kind of funny that leaves you gasping for air, and her sharp observations have a way of injecting life into tired romance tropes. Karina’s first novel, Under the Influence, will be released on 1 September under the HarperCollins imprint Escape. It follows banker Louise Lane […]

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  • Editing, Proofreading, Writing

    Why every dream team needs an editor

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    Even if you aced English at high school or routinely correct your best friend’s bad spelling, enlisting the help of an editor is a smart idea. Here’s a few reasons I reckon it’s worth the investment…

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Hi there!
Hi there!

I'm Penny, a writer and editor. On this blog I share writing tips, editing advice and interviews with authors to get you inspired. Read more

 
Recent Posts
  • How to respond to structural edits
  • Rose Monroe is raising the stakes with her Mafia romance series
  • Breaking up is hard to do
  • Diane Hester is reshaping the past with fiction
  • How to make your dialogue shine
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  • Author interviews
  • Editing
  • How-to
  • Proofreading
  • Writing

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The funniest things can trip you up when you’re ta The funniest things can trip you up when you’re tackling copyedits. This post is designed to save you on those days you’re googling ‘show words on T-shirt fiction’ and getting zero helpful results. Save it now and sign up to my newsletter for practical tips like this every fortnight! Oh, and for more help on the text message situation, I’ve got a verrrry popular blog post on my website. Head to my bio for the link. #editing #copyediting #formatting
Thoughts I’ve had while sipping my daily coffee la Thoughts I’ve had while sipping my daily coffee lately… Authors, do any of these hit home? Let me know in the comments! ☕️ #writing #editing #writingadvice
PSA to all my writer friends… If you want your man PSA to all my writer friends… If you want your manuscript to look professional for editing or submission, these small formatting tweaks go a loooong way. They show you understand industry conventions, care about your editor/agent/publisher’s eyes, AND the chapter heading style makes it super easy to navigate your file, which is a win for everyone.  Bonus tip: Please don’t bother with special fonts or colours for things like letters or fictional newspaper articles etc. They’re hard to read and can corrupt easily. Leave it for your book designer!  Double bonus tip: Download my free DIY Editing Cheat Sheet for more quick and easy tweaks.
I talk a lot about what I will do in my edits, but I talk a lot about what I will do in my edits, but sometimes what I’m not doing says just as much! Here are a few of my editing don’ts, in case you’re wondering what really happens when you hand your words over… ✍️ #editing #writersofig

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