I had the delightful job of revealing the cover of my book on Twitter, Facebook, Insta and Tiktok.
#BellaBright publishes on August 31st this year – in about six months. For pre-orders please visit linktr.ee/CarolynWard or order direct from your local indie.
It’s such a blast after keeping everything secret for so long! The cover is by the amazing illustrator Beatriz Castro. I hope you like it.
Here we are again. The 5th year Write Mentor is running the *free* summer mentoring programme.
I’m excited to mentor again, and will be doing a Twitter chat (date TBC) if anyone has questions for me.
I recently counted up, and realised that over the last four years I have worked with ten mentees! Seven as a solo, and three as a co-mentor. These have been a mixture of CB, LMG, MG and YA.
I work via email, and with Word, using comments and track changes so the editorial suggestions are really specific and clear.
“Clarity affords focus”
Thomas Leonard
It’s really brave to apply for any mentoring programme, to put your work out there to be read, and potentially not get chosen. But, rejection is a massive part of being a writer, so the faster you can develop the ability to shrug it off, the better in the long run for your writing career.
**If you ain’t getting rejected, you ain’t writing.**
I’m always around on Twitter if anyone wants to ask about mentoring, or editing – via Write Mentor through the Sparks system, or via Word Witches. Just DM or tweet @Viking_Ma.
Good luck with your writing!
Thrilled to be mentoring again in Write Mentor’s excellent summer programme. I’ve met some fabulous writers through this, and seen them go on to find agents and sign deals.
This year I am open to MG and CB, and will consider anything hooky… but particularly horror or comedy. Or horror comedy. Think Dracula for kids. Or The Shining…. wait, nope. Lockdown horror is WAAAAAAY too horrific.
I write MG and CB and am represented by the fabulous Thérèse Coen. I’m based near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, and have an honours degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Wolverhampton.
I became a mentor in Write Mentor’s debut year, working closely with three talented writers and enjoying every second. I caught the editing bug, going on to develop my editing skills and becoming a Spark Mentor, working with monthly clients in the UK and US, and completing one-off full edits. I love working with different genres and age groups.
Aside from my own writing and editing I co-founded a local writing group based in a community pub, @CastlecroftWrit, and am also on YouTube as half of the Word Witches writer support duo. I love to collaborate with other writers and give back to the huge and supportive #WritingCommunity.
Between my own MG and CB edits I write flash fiction and can be found all over the internet, from Twisted Sister Lit Mag * and Horror Scribes * to Senior Travel Expert. I’ve been lucky enough to win competitions and be featured in anthologies, and have even self-published two flash collections.
*Adult/horror themes
If you want to work with me please contact Word Witches via wordwitches2018@gmail.com or consider applying to the Spark programme – I still have a couple of slots for monthly support or full edits. This is fully flexible – see the Write Mentor site for details or contact Stuart direct via FB or @StuartWhiteWM.
If you are considering me as your editor, here are some kind words from previous mentees:
One of my luckiest days as a writer was the day I was selected for #MentorMatch 2018 with Carolyn as my mentor. She was amazing, giving me detailed and insightful suggestions that took my book to another level and ultimately resulted in my getting an agent. I can’t say enough about her editing skills!
Michael Lunsford
It is very easy to become buried within your own work. Carolyn pulls you out of the pages and shines a light not only on the ugly what-was-I-thinking parts but also what is working. Not only is she a great editor, she will be your biggest cheerleader too.
She picks up on things you don’t think about—would that fruit grow at that time of year? How long would it take for a cruise ship to turn around? So, all this happened in a day?—are just a few of the questions I hadn’t considered.
If you need help with plot & structure, she can do that.
She has a good ear for dialogue. She won’t let a character get away with a single word that they wouldn’t say.
She’s a tyrant when it comes to correct grammar. Trust me, this is a good thing—not a hyphen or comma will be missed.
I received a comprehensive edit letter and line notes which were incredibly useful. But more than that, Carolyn was there to bounce ideas off and help me brainstorm solutions.
If you want someone to help you get your manuscript in shape, Carolyn’s your girl.
Jenny Pearson
For more find me on Twitter: @Viking_Ma and @WitchesWord
Search ‘Introducing Word Witches’ on YouTube.
carolynwardwrites 