Hi Reader,

The other day I was on a call with an author who was stuck with how to move forward with her story.

We discussed aspects like structure, theme, narrative arc and mindset. Then we came up against the real roadblock that many of us face: procrastination masquerading as perfectionism. Specifically, the habit of tweaking and deliberating over minor details as avoidance of the hard work of digging deeper to reshape the story.

In the middle of our chat, she stopped and said, this must be a big part of what you do as an editor – counselling.

I mean, she’s not wrong.

As an editor, I’ve realised that an important piece of my work is reminding authors that their story is valid and giving them permission and encouragement to keep going.

So often, my practical feedback echoes the suspicions they already have about where the weaknesses in their draft lie. It’s their self-doubt that’s getting in the way.

Often in the creative journey we can get really caught up in our heads, wondering if we’re any good at writing, who would want to read our stories and why. We doubt our judgement and start to question if we even know what on earth we’re doing. There has to be a better way, right? Those other authors have it all figured out!

You know what? It’s all background noise.

If I can give you any advice, it’s that there is no magic method, no perfect way to write a book. There's no scoreboard in the sky that says plotting is better than pantsing, or you should always write the last chapter first, or you need to complete a course before you can put pen to paper.

You just have to write your story the only way you know how.

Editing can help you get perspective, of course. I can help you steer towards stronger narrative arcs and more compelling, layered characters. I can suggest more effective sentences and techniques to build tension. But ultimately, the only one who can write the book is you.

That can be scary, I know. At the heart of it, any creative act is an exercise in vulnerability. It takes courage to give yourself permission – grace – to learn something new, make mistakes, edit, start again, or just start.

So for anyone who needs it, here’s a permission slip from me, an editor:

Yours in creative courage,

Penny

PS: If you’ve reached peak overwhelm with your manuscript and you’re ready to take the brave step of working with an editor, get in touch – I’d love to help you move forward. I’m now booking edits from mid-October onwards. I also offer one-hour sense-check calls if you’re stuck and need a sounding board. Hit reply if you’d like to chat.