I had some time off over the festive period, so it was a bit of a shock to get back to a full schedule in the new year. Personal highlights this month include the delivery of a new fridge and freezer, and taking my cat for his monthly physiotherapy session. Perhaps I will have more interesting things to report in February!

What I’ve been working on

I started January with the copy-edit of a sprawling sci-fi epic about the destruction of Earth and war between alien civilisations. This was alongside the copy-edit of a feminist tale of magic, loss and identity in the shadow of natural disaster. I was fortunate to provide a development edit for an earlier version of this novel, so it was great to see how the story and characterisation had been elevated since then. The final project of January was the critique of a sophisticated and insightful work of upmarket fiction.

Book mail

I’m always delighted to receive a physical copy of a book I’ve worked on – it’s an honour to help authors achieve publication, and I love that I have a growing collection of books by ‘my authors’ on my bookshelf. Russell Luyt was kind enough to send me a copy of his debut novel, The Midnight Factory, which I had the pleasure of providing a developmental edit for. I am looking forward to finding out where the story goes next!

Looking ahead

February will be another month with a full work schedule. I’m hoping some improved weather will allow me to get out and about to enjoy a bit of nature. My tortoise certainly thinks spring is coming, but he might be getting a little ahead of himself…