iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Oh gosh, I don't check Bsky often enough and I completely missed this! I'm not actually sure you taught me for any classes, but you taught my mom... and maybe one of my brothers.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

WINGS OF BLOOD Captain Tess Night was raised to fear the Lord of Blood, and he made a sport of brutally killing soldiers like her, but when a cursed prince returns from the dead, the two are forced to ally. ⚔️ FMC with a sword 🩸 MMC with blood magic 🫶 Found family #A #F #📖 #Q #BluePit

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Adulthood sneaks up on you in such unexpected ways. One day you're young and carefree, and the next you're filling out a form on the Royal Horticultural Society website letting them know you found box tree caterpillars in your garden.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

The tricky thing about writing a fae character who can't lie, I have recently learned, is figuring out what to do with sarcasm and dry humour. Some of his dialogue, if delivered straight, would be considered a lie, but he's saying it as a joke. Does that count? 🤔

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Dusting off this account because I've heard it's the place to be for pitch events, and they were always fun. Threads doesn't have them and I'd rather eat gravel than go back to Twitter so... hello! Any kind souls want to let me know if there are any coming up? #WritingCommunity

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Curiosity got the better of me, so I went and had a look. You're going to love this – it actually is a word 😆

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Reposted by Jess Lawrence | copy-editor

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

A post from my editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social on how to know your book is done. My first book I cut 10,000 words out of it AFTER I had published the first version. That was crazy. The last book I wrote was done at 45k words. Then at 57k words. The finally at 62k words. Done is a relative concept

jesslawrence.co.uk

How do I know when my book is ready?

How do you convince yourself your book is ready in a world where there's no such think as 'perfect'?

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

If you're always learning and honing your skills, there's always more tweaking you can do! I remember being sure I was done with one of my old WIPs, which I'd already read 6000 times, and then somehow managed to cut another few thousand words from it 🤷‍♀️

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

I've hit the point with this WIP revision where I just want to read the story, but I don't want to have to write the story first. Like, can't I just have a completed draft already?

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

The WIP I'm revising started as a chill project after querying another book. Well, it grew legs and now I want to share it with everyone, hence the revision. 3 chapters in, I love this story and these characters. I call it Chaos Child (v. apt) but this annoying gremlin of a WIP has my whole heart ❤️‍🔥

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

It's my starting word too. It does remove the fun a little, but I'm going to ride the high anyway 😆

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

I just got today's Wordle on my first guess. Nothing can stop me now. I am invincible 🙌

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

2024 has been a good year for editing. I've laughed, I've cried, I've sat at my desk for far, far too long, but it was all in service of fantastic stories! Thank you so much to every author who has trusted me with their words this year - it's been a pleasure 🧡

Bar chart showing total words by service. Copy-editing (821,000), Dev editing (697,000), Editorial reports (650,000) and Queries (65,000)

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

She's off the Christmas card list, for sure 😒

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

I'm rereading an old WIP ahead of revising it and I just came across this note Past Jess left for me where a chapter ends abruptly 😭

Screenshot of a typed note in my Word doc that reads "Terrible cut in the plot – need to find a connector but also just need to move on right now. Sorry future me."

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Reposted by Jess Lawrence | copy-editor

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

I have a #CosyFantasy that is currently a finalist for Book Blogger Novel Of The Year called Glunda The Veg Witch that people might like. 😊 mybook.to/glunda 🥕🧙‍♀️

Reposted by Jess Lawrence | copy-editor

K.V. Johansen @kvjohansen.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Never, ever put off buying book one of something because book two isn't out. That's a good way to ensure book two is dropped by the publisher. Sure, a couple of big noisy boys have let you down. Most of us can, do, and are burning to in fact finish what we started, given half a chance.

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Reposted by Jess Lawrence | copy-editor

K Lykkebo 🖤 Fantasy author @karenlykkebo.com · 07/12/2024

✨this december, love thyself✨ 7th I know meditation and mindfulness have many cringe and walk away. "what's the point of just sitting and breathing? I've never been enlightened." Nop, it's not the point either. Let's just take a quick look at the breathing aspect ⬇️🧵 1/6

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

I used to struggle with mindfulness because it felt too 'spiritual' for me, but then I looked at it from the science angle, exactly as you've explained here, and it just clicked. I got the Balance app and I've used it every day for 50 days now – I love those 10 minutes I take for myself every day 🙌

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Reposted by Jess Lawrence | copy-editor

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Bless you for this. Short story collections are special. Often harder to write than novels too. If you want one for free check out my steampunk shorts collection, The Hammersmyth Tales. 😊 mybook.to/hammersmyth2

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

To add to this, my services also make for great gifts for the writer in your life (including yourself 🧡) And I even have cute little gift cards mocked up, so... 👀

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

I've got a few editing slots open for January and February – developmental editing, copy-editing, query packs, or my brand new Editorial Consultations! Anyone who reaches out before the end of the year can lock in my current rates before I give them a little bump. www.jesslawrence.co.uk/services

jesslawrence.co.uk

Services | Book Editor | Jess Lawrence

Developmental editing, editorial reports, copy-editing and query editing for fiction writers.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Happy to share the recent launch of a client novel - 'Huw is Missing' by Martin Whitbread. If you're looking for a gripping mystery with an older protagonist, this is a great read! www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DNFZF6DG

amazon.co.uk

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Haha, probably! We are prone to overthinking such things 😂

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Interesting! It was a client project that prompted this question, because I haven't seen chapters restart for each part anywhere else in the wild.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Strictly speaking, because "crossbows" is plural it would be "there are". I agree that "there's" sounds better, but that might be because we're remembering the Mastercard campaign this sentence structure riffs off. Since this isn't (I assume 😆) academic, you can break the rules.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

So is there a guidebook for new(ish) BlueSky users? I'd like to hang out here more often but I'm not sure of the ropes...

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

Haha fortunately there's technically no right or wrong on this one! I've just always seen it the other way, except for 2 recent client books, and now I'm thrown for a loop 😂

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

Whaaat? I'm starting to feel outnumbered on this now 😆

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

Oh interesting, because my expectation is for the numbers to keep going! I had two MSS come across my desk lately that restarted the numbers, and it seemed so odd to me. My partner agrees with you though, that the numbers should start over per part.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

Oh yeah, that would throw me off! It just doesn't make sense to me to start over.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

I can't do polls on here (can I?), but I'm curious to know: Writers and readers, if a book is split into Parts, do you prefer the chapter numbers to keep counting up, or to restart at Chapter 1 for each Part?

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 11/10/2023

I've come to the library to write, for a change of scenery, and I'm already up 1300 words 🙌

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

Finished! The chapter has been rehashed and it's now actually kind of good (for this draft at least). Plus I've set myself up nicely to pick the words back up tomorrow ☺️

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

It's done! Finally made this scene work 🙌

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

Okay, I have the whole day to write. I have a chapter that needs completely rehashing. If you catch me loitering around here before I've made progress, shame me! Don't let me procrastinate, please!

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 20/09/2023

Am I procrastinating from writing, or does my brain really and truly just need a rest?

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 17/09/2023

Ugh, I feel for you, the vibes are the hardest to finesse IMO. I hope it clicks for you soon – maybe you need to get some betas in if you haven't already.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 17/09/2023

Are you still first-drafting this one? I've found that my process changes between books, and the way one worked is different to the next. Similar to you, my current WIP is coming out so differently to how my last book did, and I've had to adjust my expectations.

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Jess Lawrence | copy-editor @jesslawrence.bsky.social · 12/09/2023

Escalator handrail at Waterloo station is feeling a little needy 🤭

Photograph of an escalator handrail with a sign printed on it that reads 'Hold me'.

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