Laura Antram Editing

fiction writing feedback

Checking for errors

If you keep going back to a sentence or paragraph of a manuscript or post, it’s…
Quotes within quotes

Sometimes you need to use quotes within quotes in fiction. This happens when directly quoting what…
Comma splices

What’s wrong with this sentence? I love cake, my favourite flavour is chocolate. It’s a comma…
How music helps when commenting on manuscripts

‘What am I trying to say?’ It’s almost there, right on the tip of my tongue.…
Editing, proofreading and peace of mind

Editing and proofreading offers reassurance and peace of mind. Editors and proofreaders are mindful of how…
How I organise notes

One of the most useful things I own for my freelance business is my whiteboard. I…
Brackets/parentheses in fiction

I’ve been reading a nonfiction book for pleasure and noticed how it uses brackets, parentheses for…
Rhythm in writing

The main thing I love about learning to tap dance is the teacher explaining how you…
Manuscript drafts

If you are an independent author, unless you’re working to set deadline, you get to decide…
How beta reading and proofreading affect how I read for pleasure

Beta reading and proofreading have affected how I read for pleasure in a positive way. Reading…
What a beta reader or proofreader looks for in a manuscript

I know handing over a manuscript that you’ve spent months or, even years, working on can…
Taking breaks for inspiration

Does this sound familiar? You’re having a perfectly normal conversation when you stop mid-sentence with the…
Plot reveals

One of my favourite plot reveals happens in The Railway Children. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil…
Email feedback for writers

I’ve made my peace with the fact that it can take me anything from thirty minutes…
Characters and backstories

If you can’t relate to a character, can you understand them? Sympathise with them to an…
Skills and traits for beta reading, copyediting, proofreading and self-editing

Completing a course is invaluable, and here are the skills and traits I’ve found useful for…
Head-hopping

Head-hopping is when narrative perspectives change from one character to another without warning when writing in…
Questions I ask when beta reading

When I beta read, I do so with several general questions in mind. Why is this…
Why I started proofreading

I’ve realised I’ve not written about why I got into proofreading. I knew I wanted to…
Commenting on manuscripts

When proofreading, I keep comments to a minimum, only commenting on punctuation that affects the whole…
Dialogue tags and action beats

I was asked a question about dialogue tags recently, so I’ve written a post about dialogue…
Authors and readers

As an editor or proofreader, you provide a stepping stone between the author and the reader.…
What’s track changes?

A track changes document can seem a bit daunting, so an author will normally receive a…
What happens after I receive my tracked changes document?

When you receive a track changes document from an editor or proofreader, it is normal to…
What’s beta reading?

Beta reading is the initial reaction to your manuscript from a reader. Beta readers read through…