Helping authors to make their stories shine … Editing Services for fiction and memoir
One of the reasons I started a blog was that the protagonist in my novel was a blogger, so I needed first-hand experience. Eight months in, what have I learnt? Did I describe her experience accurately? What will I change as a result? Followers. I made my fictional blogger an overnight sensation, but in real … Continue reading Real Versus Fictional Blogs
I’m a writer. I love words. But before I was a writer, I was an engineer, so I also love numbers. The typical word count for a novel is around 80,000. Non-novelists often baulk at the idea of writing that many words, and no question, it’s a mammoth task. To make it more manageable, I … Continue reading Engineering the Story—How to Write a Novel in 80 Days
A fun post today. Last week at writer’s group, we did an exercise in which we had to respond to the following prompt in 20 minutes. The police arrive at your door with a search warrant. There is something in the house that they cannot see, that nobody can ever see. This is my (slightly edited) … Continue reading Short Fiction: The Search Warrant
It is my pleasure to introduce Lisa Eskinazi, author, poet & e-activist. Lisa has been writing since she could pick up a pen. Sharing her experience of bullying and mental health issues to bring comfort to others and advocate for justice is her dream come true. She lives in a cosy apartment in Melbourne, filled with as many baby pink and faux fur accessories as she can afford and battles bedtime procrastination. Continue reading Lisa Eskinazi, From High School Dropout to Author
I’m taking a break from the Lagos story to bring you the next in my interview series. Today’s winding narrative comes from Gail Cleare, whose love of writing has taken her from advertising to literature. We are excited to announce that her book, the USA Today bestseller The Taste of Air, has been just chosen for a … Continue reading Gail Cleare, From Ad Executive to Novelist
(Part two of four in the Music & Dance on the Lagoon story. Photo: Ice Nweke and Andrea Barton.) In my last blog, I wrote about the myriad of problems we encountered setting up Music & Dance on the Lagoon. Many of those difficulties were beyond our control, but some were self-imposed. A more sensible person … Continue reading Blame It On The Tango
Part one of four in the Music & Dance on the Lagoon story. They say it never rains but it pours. Using this adage, Music & Dance on the Lagoon was a veritable tempest. After the buzz of Nigerian Gems, I combined my new love of salsa with my passion for storytelling and wrote a … Continue reading Music & Dance on the Lagoon
When I published Nigerian Gems, I used the pseudonym Jo Demmer. People often ask how I chose my pen name. Jo is my middle name, after my great-grandmother, Josephine. Demmer is my mother’s maiden name. The novel I was working on at the time, Sunrise Court, was rife with intrigue and infidelity and I didn’t … Continue reading To Be Oneself Or To Be Someone Else
What is the difference between memoir and autobiography? What is creative nonfiction? What are the advantages of writing memoir? These are just some of the questions tackled in The Pros and Cons of Writing Memoir. Continue reading The Pros and Cons of Writing Memoir
[Updated Feb 16, 2024, see notes in square brackets.] Authors have a tough time breaking into the traditional publishing world. We send our work via email or online submission portals and rarely meet an agent or publisher face-to-face. Literary Speed Dating is designed as an opportunity to pitch in person. The catch? We only have … Continue reading A Rookie’s Guide to Literary Speed Dating
Brightside Story Studio 