Creative Writing
An archive of posts related to editing and proofreading creative writing, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Find out how to edit and proofread for authors and publishers.
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Narrative Structure: The Hero's Journey
Narrative Structure: The Hero's Journey
Sep 28, 2022
For anyone who edits creative writing, understanding narrative structure can be extremely useful. There are many different ways of conceptualizing narrative structure, but one of the most common is known as the Hero’s Journey. In this post, we’ll explain what the Hero’s Journey is and how you can use it when editing your client’s work. […]
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Proofreading Tips: How to Annotate a PDF
Proofreading Tips: How to Annotate a PDF
Jul 22, 2021
As a freelance proofreader, you may be asked to proofread a PDF at some point. And if you’re used to the tools in Microsoft Word, the process for marking up a different type of document can seem daunting. Once you get the hang of it, though, proofreading a PDF is simple. In this post, we’ll […]
Editing Tips: Fact-Checking Fiction
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Titles of Other Works in AP Style
May 30, 2021
AP style – as set out in The Associated Press Stylebook – is commonly used in business writing and journalism. But did you know that the AP Stylebook has advice on how to present titles of other works, such as books, films, and musical compositions? It’s important to be aware of these rules so you […]
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He Said, She Said: Tips for Editing Dialogue Tags
Mar 18, 2021
Dialogue tags can help readers keep track of who is speaking in writing. But many authors overuse or misuse dialogue tags. As an editor or proofreader, then, it is worth keeping an eye out for issues when working on a novel or any other writing that features dialogue. In this post, we’ll look at common […]
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Editing Tips: Scene Breaks in Books and Manuscripts
Feb 21, 2021
When a book is divided into sections, each chapter will typically start on a new page. But what about scene changes within a chapter? How do writers and publishers indicate a shift of perspective, time, or location? And what do you need to know about this as a proofreader? In this post, we take a […]
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Proofreading Tips: Plagiarism and Copyright in Creative Writing
Nov 15, 2020
Plagiarism in creative writing is harder to identify than, say, academic plagiarism. Despite this, proofreaders may want to look out for potential plagiarism and copyright issues in creative writing. To help you navigate these muddy waters, we’ve prepared a quick guide to the basics. What Is Plagiarism in Creative Writing? It is hard to define […]
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Proofreading Creative Writing
Jul 30, 2018
Truth hurts. That’s why everyday life is full of little white lies, and why most of the human race avoids telling anyone that their baby isn’t all that pretty. But proofreaders aren’t so lucky. Our career is a world of uncomfortable truths. And this is especially true when working with authors and other creative writers. […]
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Poetic Licence
May 04, 2018
We took a little census of the people on our team, And the general consensus was things are not as they seem. Some words use a simple ‘s’ to settle spelling strains, While certain others celebrate soft ‘c’’s fancy refrains. Moreover, you may realise that Britain’s hallowed ground Prioritises ‘s’ when words utilise a […]