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These are some of the ways in which you might need help

Positive feedback on your writing. I shall point out your strengths and suggest ways in which you might resolve problems.

The emphasis is on ‘positive’, a constructive, ‘can do’ approach which suggests remedies for the aspects of your writing you find difficult.

Suggestions for improving grammar and punctuation. Sometimes it might be as simple as pointing out the repeated use of a word, or a tendency to put commas in the wrong place, or to overuse a particular sentence construction. It could be that you use too many adjectives and adverbs. All these are minor style faults which, once they are pointed out, will be easy for you to rectify.

If you don’t already own a copy, my first suggestion is that you buy Lynne Truss’s Eats Shoots and Leaves. She manages to make a book on punctuation readable and amusing.

Maybe you would benefit from guidelines on plot structure. As an experienced reader and creative writing teacher, I can tell you whether your structure works and if it doesn’t, how you might fix it.

Your work might need cutting to conform to a specific length, for publication or course work. I can suggest places where you could tighten or cut your work or, if necessary, rewrite more succinctly.

You might just want to put questions to an objective reader. ‘Does this work?’ ‘How does it come across to you?’ ‘Does my dialogue sound real?’ ‘Are my characters believable?’

Are you submitting your work to an agent or a publisher? I can suggest a few ways in which you might tidy it up and make sure that you have a better chance for your publisher or agent to read the work with interest.

Students, either at school or university, have particular needs. Perhaps you aren’t sure about how to organise your ideas. Maybe you waffle. Perhaps your layout is unclear. I can give you some pointers on how to make your work cleaner and crisper. You will then have the confidence to rewrite for better results.

A confidence boost. That’s the whole point of what I do. Negative or destructive criticism does no good at all. A personal toolkit which you can use to do your own repairs – that’s what I can provide.

Types of prose writing with which I can help you.

• Short stories
• Essays
• Non-fiction writing
• Biography
• Journalism
• Memoir
• Speeches

No poetry, please. Novels and plays by prior discussion.