The Black Cat monthly round-up: May 2021

June 9, 2021 By Hannah McCall in Monthly round-up Tags: CIEP, dogs, editing, fiction, May, proofreading, writing Leave a comment

I am trying not to make a habit of writing and posting my monthly round-ups a bit late, but the end of May and beginning of June has been very busy and that is my excuse. I did manage to squeeze in a Zoom meeting with the West Surrey & North Hampshire CIEP local group, and it was lovely to catch up with them and have a general chat about editing-related matters.

We had a guest at Black Cat HQ for the end of May. Ella’s favourite friend, Mini, came to stay with us for a couple of weeks, and they had a lovely time being naughty little peas in pod. Here they are making sure that the neighbours aren’t doing anything they disapprove of.

What I’ve been working on

My long run of critiques has continued. I finished the report for a psychological thriller novella, and moved on to the critique of what I can only really term as transgressive fiction. Alongside this I proofread some contemporary fiction and a novel that is part coming-of-age story and part romance. Perhaps the most interesting project of this month was the proofread of a supernatural murder-mystery – a combination I would love to work on more.

What I read for fun

Confession time: I have no completed reads for May. I had planned to read Natasha Pulley’s The Kingdoms upon its release, but distribution problems mean that my copy has still not reached me. My disappointment is immeasurable.

Looking ahead

I have my first vaccination appointment booked for early June. I don’t think ‘excited’ is the right description for how I feel about it – I think it is something closer to relief and a little bit of hope.

The Black Cat monthly round-up: July 2020

August 3, 2020 By Hannah McCall in Monthly round-up Tags: books, CIEP, dogs, editing, fiction, proofreading, reading, writing Leave a comment

Sally gang This year has delivered another blow. It had been clear for a while that Sally was feeling her age – and the combined effects of multiple health issues. She was no longer enjoying life, and with kidney failure on the horizon, we had to say goodbye. She was seventeen years old (at least – she was a rescue and she was no younger than three when we adopted her). Here she is (the collie cross on the left) with the rest of my silly gang. The house is so quiet without her and her happy tip-taps.

What I’ve been working on

July was a busy month for work. I finished my copy-edit of an adult post-apocalyptic epic and the proofread of a young adult fantasy romance. The proofread was for a publishing client, and I was touched that the author took the time to request they send me her thanks for my work.

I moved on to the copy-edit of a beautiful collection of short stories. Speculative fiction is my favourite genre when I read for fun, and these stories were excellently constructed and told. I was lucky to follow that work with the copy-edit of a fantasy novel that had some of the best point-of-view work I have read from an indie author. I wrapped up the month with the complicated proofread of a semi-autobiographical novel set predominantly in Wales.

On the blog

I published a long article on how to punctuate dialogue in fiction. The idea behind this post is to support my editorial reports (and it will probably help my critiques, too). It is an easily accessible resource for my clients to consult, and it goes into much more detail than I would be able to provide in each report I write. I find that the punctuation in and around dialogue is one of the things I regularly have to address when I copy-edit, and proofread; hopefully the article will be of help to writers who find punctuating speech difficult or a bit confusing. My aim is to produce a series of ‘fiction essentials’ posts.

What I’ve been reading

I wanted to spend some time hanging out with Martha Wells’ Murderbot, so I read Artificial Condition and thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially appreciated the introduction of ART – it takes great skill to construct a compelling character who happens to be a transport ship.

I’m in the middle (roughly) of reading Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. It’s a complex novel – in turns funny and heartbreaking, and at times frustrating. On a technical level, though, I love how the author has integrated social media into the storytelling. It works brilliantly. I’m also reading The Black Hawks by David Wragg. I nearly didn’t get past the first few pages – in which the main character poddles about with a hangover and has breakfast – but I’m glad I did. It has an interesting ensemble cast, a likeable central character, and plenty of action.

Looking ahead

I am expecting August to be a fairly quiet month. I have a book to review for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and I am looking forward to taking some time off.

The Black Cat monthly round-up: May 2019

June 3, 2019 By Hannah McCall in Monthly round-up Tags: books, copy-editing, dogs, editors, fiction, May, proofreading, SfEP, writing Leave a comment

Mini and Ella having a snooze after a walk.

Welcome to the May round-up. I had another full-on month – I’m starting to think this is the standard now and I should get used to it. I’m getting on well with Toggl, and I have found it has significantly increased my productive time.

We had a good time at Black Cat HQ, with Mini visiting for a week or so mid-May. Her dad had swanned off on holiday, again (this time to Spain). Mins is an absolute sweetheart, and Ella always loves having her here.

One of the other highlights of the month was the SfEP local group lunch meeting. It’s always an enjoyable few hours, but this was a particularly lovely meeting. We had a couple of new faces, but the atmosphere was still warm, friendly and unguarded.

What I’ve been working on

May started with the proofread of the memoir of an economist and former banker, which was straightforward enough. Alongside that, I copy-edited the first part of a varied and thoughtful collection of short stories. My second proofread of the month was a crime novel set in London and dealing with issues of sexuality and gender. And then I got stuck into the edit of an epic (in length as well as content) fantasy-romance novel. I don’t usually work on romance titles but the quality of the writing and the strength of the fantasy elements enticed me to make an exception.

What I read for fun

I mentioned in the April round-up that I would be writing my first review for the SfEP’s Editing Matters magazine. Well, I read the book and I wrote the review. The book I tackled was On Editing by Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price. I won’t spoil my review but I loved the book and I’d highly recommend it for fiction authors and editors.

The Princess Bride Black Cat Editorial Services_ May round-up(1) by William Goldman was my only fiction read this month – yet another classic I really should have read already (I have recently bought a whole load of classics to try to address this failing of mine). It is, of course, brilliant, and if you love the film you will love the book. Perhaps the most striking thing, for me, is the framing device of Goldman editing the work of the fictional author S. Morgenstern. It took me a while grasp the complexity of the whole thing – Goldman narrates as a fictionalised version of himself, weaving a story within a story. If you are thinking about using a framing device in your work, you should check out Goldman’s stunning, intricate example.

Looking ahead

I have a couple of projects to finish off for the beginning of June. I’m hoping to put aside a few days to start working through the SfEP’s Introduction to Fiction Editing course. I aim to do at least one training course each year to support my continuing professional development. I love working on fiction, I have heard good things about the SfEP’s course, and I had a discount voucher to use up – it seemed the obvious choice.

The Black Cat monthly round-up: January 2019

February 4, 2019 By Hannah McCall in Monthly round-up Tags: books, CPD, dogs, editing, January, proofreading, reading, SfEP, writing Leave a comment

Ella with her hurty paw.

The new year didn’t have the best of starts for poor Ella. She managed to split one of her nails down to the nail bed, which was very painful, and she had to have the nail removed under anaesthetic. She spent a few days with a bandaged paw, and she had to wear a plastic boot when out on (short) walks. She sounded like a small horse clopping around. In true spaniel style, she finished January with another injury – a snapped dewclaw. I’m hoping she’ll be more careful with her paws in February! The recent snow has certainly cheered her up.

What I’ve been working on

I managed to pack in a lot of work during January, and it couldn’t really have been more diverse. My first project was an account of the adventures of a community of dowsers – many of the events reported took place in warm and sunny climes, which was a nice antidote to the January weather. The second project was an elegantly structured novel about a young man who finds himself in big trouble with a local mob boss. My third and final January project will run into February – I’m proofreading a well-researched and interesting PhD thesis on the healthcare sector.

What I read for fun

I managed to pack in a lot of reading for fun as well – January was a long month. I started with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I bought the absolutely stunning collector’s edition, and I’m glad I did. It’s fast-paced, moving and quite dark, with a welcome streak of humour.

I pre-ordered the The Binding by Bridget Collins some time ago, on the strength of the premise and the book’s aesthetic. It was released in early January (my copy actually turned up before the release date), and I was not disappointed. The cover is truly gorgeous – I gasped when I peeked under the dust jacket. The story itself is beautifully written, powerful and engaging. The implications of the book’s core concept are quite terrifying.

I’d heard good things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, and it lived up to the hype. It’s deeply sad, but there are passages that made me snort with laughter. I can’t remember the last time I read a book with such a strong narrator’s voice. Eleanor seems to me to be a truly unique character.

My final read of this month was Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers. It seems strange, considering the heartbreaking things that happen in the Wayfarers books, that I should find the novels so comforting. I wasn’t sure I would like the style of this one – multiple stories, each from a different character’s perspective, eventually coming together to tell a bigger story – but I loved it. It worked brilliantly.

Looking ahead

The West Surrey and North Hampshire SfEP local group is meeting in mid-February for a tips and techniques session on professional practice. We’re going to look at how we interact with our clients, and the aim is to help each other improve and develop the strategies and tools we use. But what I’m really looking forward to is the bring-and-share lunch.

The Black Cat monthly round-up: August 2018

August 27, 2018 By Hannah McCall in Monthly round-up Tags: August, Black Cat, books, conference, dogs, editing, proofreading, publishing, reading, SfEP, writing 3 Comments

Partners in crime: Mini (left) and Ella (right).

We had a temporary addition at Black Cat HQ this month. The absolute sweetheart that is Mini came to stay while her dads were off on holiday. That meant a week of me having to corral three dogs, two cats, and a tortoise. The tortoise was the only one I could trust to behave. Fortunately, Mini is respectful of cats (Oscar sorted her out last time she came to stay) and she fits right in to our little pack. She and Ella spent a week chasing about and creating joyful chaos. We had a very mopey spaniel when it was time for Mini to go home.

What I’ve been working on

At first glance, August seems like a fairly quiet month, but my latest project has been something of a challenge. I started the month with a short story written by an independent author and returning client, whom I very much enjoy working with. The story explored the dark side of social media and its effect on mental health.

Black Cat Editorial Services_ August round-up(1) Then followed a proofread for a publishing house – this the memoir of a nurse, focusing on her time as a student nurse in the 1960s. Almost every page contained an attitude or event that made the 1960s seem like a different world to today.

The project I’m finishing off now, at the end of August, is a long and complex guide to complementary medicines and therapies. I’m going to deserve some sort of cake once I’ve finished it.

What I’ve read for fun

I’ve had a copy of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers, in my TBR pile for a long time. I had a gem just sitting there, waiting to be read. It’s beautiful and engrossing and different, and the characters are all of those things too. It’s brilliant. I’ve bought the sequel and it will probably be one of my September reads.

I have to make a confession now: when I read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this month, it was for the first time. I mean, I’ve seen the 2005 film version, so I was sort of aware of the story, but I hadn’t read the book, or listened to the original radio series. Anyway, I finally read the book, and it was everything I expected it to be: sharp, funny, surprising. And Marvin was still my favourite character.

My reads this month were concluded with Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott. Here’s another confession: I bought Rotherweird because it had sprayed edges (black) and I’m a sucker for sprayed edges. It’s the same reason I bought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (green edges), and that turned out to be one of my favourite books. The sprayed-edge method of choosing has not let me down. I loved Rotherweird. It is weird. It’s dark and fantastical, with a sprawling cast and twisting plot. I physically flinched at a certain event, which I did not see coming, near the end. The sequel is on my wish list.

Looking ahead

September is shaping up to be a busy month. The big event will be the Society for Editors and Proofreaders’ conference, this year in Lancaster. It will be my first time attending a conference – for anything, ever. I don’t feel particularly nervous yet – but I expect it to hit me once I start packing. Later in the month I’ll be hosting a lunch meeting for the West Surrey and North Hampshire local group; it’s been quite a while since our last meeting and I think there will be lots for us to catch up on.

Around my SfEP-related activities, I’ll be celebrating my birthday. I seem to be making the most of it this year – I have an afternoon tea booked in, and a trip to Berkshire Show planned, as well as dinner with family.

All this excitement may mean that it takes me a bit longer than usual to reply to emails.