Liz Monument

I wrote my first book, The Heirs of History: A Nation From Nothing, on Google Docs. The book clocked in around 111,000 words. Writing it on Docs was a mistake. 

TLDR: Google Docs is not a good book writing…

The expression ‘clunky prose’ is often used by writing coaches and editors. It describes prose which is clumsily written. We’ve all been guilty of using clunky prose at some point, which is why the phrase is so commonly used. Aspiring…

A line edit (sometimes referred to as a copy edit) addresses a manuscript line-by-line, putting right any little errors, removing repetitions, correcting mistakes in punctuation, and anything else required to perfect the prose. Sometimes, longer sentences might need breaking down…

If you want to know what a writing coach will bring to your prose in terms of editorial help, read my blog explaining how and why.

I’m delighted to have recently been appointed a coaching Mentor for Jericho Writers…

If you're interested in knowing how an editor can help improve your manuscript, I've written a blog about it here. I've also explained, with a detailed example, the process of line editing here. 

One of the interesting things about…

In March 2020, I began working full time as a freelance fiction writing coach in Geelong, my hometown. I was at the end of a PhD in Creative Writing, so the timing seemed perfect. Nobody could’ve guessed that Covid…

Writing decent women characters is vital for the modern novelist, because surveys tell us that sixty per cent of all readers are female. The majority of editorial and commissioning staff in publishing houses today are also women. This means that…

Yes - family stories provide terrific inspiration. Here are a few things to consider before you embark on your journey.

Recently, I’ve been privileged to connect with three writers who used aspects of real-life family history to craft their novels…

Many years ago, when my bookshelves were filled with ‘how to’ manuals on developing character, with titles like 'Write a Million', I remember struggling with the popular wisdom that writers should make a ‘character board’ for every character they invent…

A client recently asked me how the mechanics of publishing work. This client has no interest in self-publishing; rather, he’s hoping to take the mainstream route when his novel is ready. I decided to blog about this because there are…

Why is editorial help important? How can independent advice improve a manuscript?

As a writer, you can only get so far on your own before you need an outside eye. Even bestselling authors have a regular editor. The job of…

Genre describes the category to which fiction (or non-fiction) belongs. Crime, romance, Sci Fi, fantasy, memoir - these are all examples of different genres. The question is, why is genre important?

Genre fictions (horror, fantasy, romance, crime, sci fi, and…