Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
@judithleask.bsky.social
Fiction editor, creative writer, CIEP member, reader of multiple genres, improving cyclist, pop choir singer, neurodiversity and queer ally, socialist (Green Party member), night owl, drinker of far too much tea.
W: justrightediting.co.uk
W: justrightediting.co.uk
Can we stope calling them 'members' and start calling them 'subscribers'?
www.open-britain.co.uk/blog/reform-...
www.open-britain.co.uk/blog/reform-...
Reform UK Isn’t a Political Party. It’s a Business. - Open Britain
Insights, updates, and thought-provoking articles from Open Britain. Stay informed about our work and the latest developments in democracy and civic engagement.
www.open-britain.co.uk
December 13, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Can we stope calling them 'members' and start calling them 'subscribers'?
www.open-britain.co.uk/blog/reform-...
www.open-britain.co.uk/blog/reform-...
Things I didn't imagine writing a comment about in a manuscript: expletive infixation!
The expletive has to go before the primary stressed syllable, so abso-bloody-lutely is fine, ab-bloody-solutely is not.
You're welcome!
#writingcommunity
The expletive has to go before the primary stressed syllable, so abso-bloody-lutely is fine, ab-bloody-solutely is not.
You're welcome!
#writingcommunity
December 12, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Things I didn't imagine writing a comment about in a manuscript: expletive infixation!
The expletive has to go before the primary stressed syllable, so abso-bloody-lutely is fine, ab-bloody-solutely is not.
You're welcome!
#writingcommunity
The expletive has to go before the primary stressed syllable, so abso-bloody-lutely is fine, ab-bloody-solutely is not.
You're welcome!
#writingcommunity
My 'New to Fiction Editing' session for @the-ciep.bsky.social had a bumper attendance!
We covered writing techniques that good fiction editors understand, such as around viewpoint, tense, narrator's voice, plus genre knowledge and sensitivity issues.
An energising session!
#writingcommunity
We covered writing techniques that good fiction editors understand, such as around viewpoint, tense, narrator's voice, plus genre knowledge and sensitivity issues.
An energising session!
#writingcommunity
December 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
My 'New to Fiction Editing' session for @the-ciep.bsky.social had a bumper attendance!
We covered writing techniques that good fiction editors understand, such as around viewpoint, tense, narrator's voice, plus genre knowledge and sensitivity issues.
An energising session!
#writingcommunity
We covered writing techniques that good fiction editors understand, such as around viewpoint, tense, narrator's voice, plus genre knowledge and sensitivity issues.
An energising session!
#writingcommunity
The best representation happens where a person's characteristics have an influence or a presence in the story, but aren't the reason for their existence in it.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 2876:
Don't write "a woman character", or "a gay character", or "a disabled character." Write a complete human being, with agency, and feelings, and flaws. No-one in fiction should be wholly defined by the groups they belong to.
Don't write "a woman character", or "a gay character", or "a disabled character." Write a complete human being, with agency, and feelings, and flaws. No-one in fiction should be wholly defined by the groups they belong to.
December 11, 2025 at 3:11 PM
The best representation happens where a person's characteristics have an influence or a presence in the story, but aren't the reason for their existence in it.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Looking forward to my first big activity since joining the Greens. Wanna join me?
actionnetwork.org/events/big-d...
actionnetwork.org/events/big-d...
Big Day Out in Cardiff!
I'm helping make history in Wales by getting the first Greens elected to the Senedd! Will you come along too?
actionnetwork.org
December 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Looking forward to my first big activity since joining the Greens. Wanna join me?
actionnetwork.org/events/big-d...
actionnetwork.org/events/big-d...
Would you try a pot luck book from the National Trust shop?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
December 7, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Would you try a pot luck book from the National Trust shop?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
'Police arrived and found the place desserted.'
Great pun work here 😅
Great pun work here 😅
Tower of London closes after apple crumble thrown on crown jewels display
Tower of London closes after apple crumble thrown on crown jewels display
Four people arrested after apparent protest against UK inequality claimed by civil-resistance group Take Back Power
The Tower of London has been closed to visitors on a busy Saturday after food was thrown at a display case containing the crown jewels in an apparent protest against inequality in the UK.
Four people were arrested after the action, which was claimed by Take Back Power – a self-described new non-violent civil-resistance group. It said custard and apple crumble was flung at the case, which contained the imperial state crown. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 6:40 PM
'Police arrived and found the place desserted.'
Great pun work here 😅
Great pun work here 😅
It does now seem, from Question Time, that the only way any of them can score points against Green Party policy is by misrepresenting it.
All in one day:
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
December 6, 2025 at 9:20 AM
It does now seem, from Question Time, that the only way any of them can score points against Green Party policy is by misrepresenting it.
Reposted by Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
Hope is here.
Help us beat Reform in May. Donate today ⤵️
Help us beat Reform in May. Donate today ⤵️
November 28, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Hope is here.
Help us beat Reform in May. Donate today ⤵️
Help us beat Reform in May. Donate today ⤵️
What have we learned, on both sides of the pond, about electing people who we know to be deeply flawed, awful people?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Starmer urges Farage to explain himself over claims of past racist behaviour
PM raises Guardian reporting of allegations from more than a dozen school contemporaries of Farage
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:20 PM
What have we learned, on both sides of the pond, about electing people who we know to be deeply flawed, awful people?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
I'm with Mary Shelley - they should put her quite at the end!
One day I'm sure I'll get a whole novella in this format and it'll be amazing 😅
One day I'm sure I'll get a whole novella in this format and it'll be amazing 😅
Guillermo del Toro: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the tale of frankenstein
del Toro: but
del Toro: this frankenstein is a little different
Bram Stoker: yes we know, guillermo, this frankenstein is hot
del Toro:
del Toro: oh
del Toro: i've mentioned this before?
del Toro: but
del Toro: this frankenstein is a little different
Bram Stoker: yes we know, guillermo, this frankenstein is hot
del Toro:
del Toro: oh
del Toro: i've mentioned this before?
November 17, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I'm with Mary Shelley - they should put her quite at the end!
One day I'm sure I'll get a whole novella in this format and it'll be amazing 😅
One day I'm sure I'll get a whole novella in this format and it'll be amazing 😅
“It isn’t people seeking sanctuary who are tearing our country apart. It’s toxic, racist narratives and the scapegoating of migrants for crises they did not cause.”
Carla Denyer challenges the Home Secretary's new immigration reforms saying they just fuel far-right narratives.
Carla Denyer challenges the Home Secretary's new immigration reforms saying they just fuel far-right narratives.
November 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
YA and New Adult fiction - I now know more about the difference between the two, thanks to a thorough analysis at a session of the CIEP Fiction Focus group.
It's interesting to think of NA as a marketing category rather than a genre, because New Adults can enjoy many genres.
#writingcommunity
It's interesting to think of NA as a marketing category rather than a genre, because New Adults can enjoy many genres.
#writingcommunity
November 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
YA and New Adult fiction - I now know more about the difference between the two, thanks to a thorough analysis at a session of the CIEP Fiction Focus group.
It's interesting to think of NA as a marketing category rather than a genre, because New Adults can enjoy many genres.
#writingcommunity
It's interesting to think of NA as a marketing category rather than a genre, because New Adults can enjoy many genres.
#writingcommunity
Writers - have you thought about how you're using tense in your story? It's possible to use both past and present (and other tenses) within a story to create an engaging style of narration.
#writingcommunity
www.justrightediting.co.uk/post/intenti...
#writingcommunity
www.justrightediting.co.uk/post/intenti...
Intentional tenses
Learn how to use tense effectively for your story in the past, using a narrator's voice in the present.
www.justrightediting.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Writers - have you thought about how you're using tense in your story? It's possible to use both past and present (and other tenses) within a story to create an engaging style of narration.
#writingcommunity
www.justrightediting.co.uk/post/intenti...
#writingcommunity
www.justrightediting.co.uk/post/intenti...
The beauty of this video, and the poem read, is that it's given without explanation. In the context of Tory comments about 'no white faces', the message is clear. We feel and understand it. It's so much more powerful than dry knowledge through explanation.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
November 7, 2025 at 11:11 AM
The beauty of this video, and the poem read, is that it's given without explanation. In the context of Tory comments about 'no white faces', the message is clear. We feel and understand it. It's so much more powerful than dry knowledge through explanation.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
I've just put the finishing touches on the autumn/winter programme of Fiction Focus sessions for the CIEP fiction special interest group. It always feels like a combination of a treasure hunt and a juggling act to get all the pieces in place!
#writingcommunity
www.linkedin.com/posts/judith...
#writingcommunity
www.linkedin.com/posts/judith...
I've just put the finishing touches on the autumn/winter programme of Fiction Focus sessions for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) fiction special interest group. It alway...
I've just put the finishing touches on the autumn/winter programme of Fiction Focus sessions for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) fiction special interest group. It always fe...
www.linkedin.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:32 AM
I've just put the finishing touches on the autumn/winter programme of Fiction Focus sessions for the CIEP fiction special interest group. It always feels like a combination of a treasure hunt and a juggling act to get all the pieces in place!
#writingcommunity
www.linkedin.com/posts/judith...
#writingcommunity
www.linkedin.com/posts/judith...
No surprise that the people who think being pro-Palestine is antisemitic can't recognise real antisemitism in their own material. I'm not going to repost Reform's Nazi-style depiction of Zack Polanski here, just give that heads-up
November 4, 2025 at 1:06 PM
No surprise that the people who think being pro-Palestine is antisemitic can't recognise real antisemitism in their own material. I'm not going to repost Reform's Nazi-style depiction of Zack Polanski here, just give that heads-up
The Overton Window is already on the move ...
Good.
This isn't instead of a proper wealth tax though, right, Rachel?
This isn't instead of a proper wealth tax though, right, Rachel?
November 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The Overton Window is already on the move ...
Oof, yes, please approach prologues with caution. Done well, and they can intrigue. Done badly, and they can be a huge wall of background information that gets in the way of the action.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Been warned against using a prologue?
I often issue that warning. But prologues do have a place in some stories, if they're done well.
Several different types of prologues are reviewed here, along with examples of effective ones, from @marykabiaggio.bsky.social.
I often issue that warning. But prologues do have a place in some stories, if they're done well.
Several different types of prologues are reviewed here, along with examples of effective ones, from @marykabiaggio.bsky.social.
Prologues That Work and Why | Jane Friedman
Prologues get a bad rap as backstory or info dumps but, done well, they can intrigue readers and ignite interest in the story to come.
janefriedman.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Oof, yes, please approach prologues with caution. Done well, and they can intrigue. Done badly, and they can be a huge wall of background information that gets in the way of the action.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Thoughts about tense: if you're writing in the past tense, are you clear about when the 'now' of the story is? Does the narrator also speak in the present tense, from the time of narration? Do they foreshadow things later in the story, but in the past from the time of narration?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
October 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Thoughts about tense: if you're writing in the past tense, are you clear about when the 'now' of the story is? Does the narrator also speak in the present tense, from the time of narration? Do they foreshadow things later in the story, but in the past from the time of narration?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Reposted by Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
🚨BREAKING : The Green Party has passed 150,000 members 🥳
Thousands are joining right now to help us replace Labour and take the fight to Reform.
Are you in?
Make hope normal again. Join the Green Party now ⤵️
Thousands are joining right now to help us replace Labour and take the fight to Reform.
Are you in?
Make hope normal again. Join the Green Party now ⤵️
October 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🚨BREAKING : The Green Party has passed 150,000 members 🥳
Thousands are joining right now to help us replace Labour and take the fight to Reform.
Are you in?
Make hope normal again. Join the Green Party now ⤵️
Thousands are joining right now to help us replace Labour and take the fight to Reform.
Are you in?
Make hope normal again. Join the Green Party now ⤵️
Lots of conflation of 'Jew' and 'Israeli' going on right now. Let's remind ourselves what happened when the Israeli club played in Amsterdam, and that we banned apartheid South Africa from the Olympics for decades. Nor would we host a Russian club right now.
www.theguardian.com/world/video/...
www.theguardian.com/world/video/...
How the unrest unfolded in Amsterdam – video timeline
The Guardian analysed footage posted across social media to try to construct a timeline and understand what led to clashes
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Lots of conflation of 'Jew' and 'Israeli' going on right now. Let's remind ourselves what happened when the Israeli club played in Amsterdam, and that we banned apartheid South Africa from the Olympics for decades. Nor would we host a Russian club right now.
www.theguardian.com/world/video/...
www.theguardian.com/world/video/...
Building a nation of neighbours 💚
October 17, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Building a nation of neighbours 💚
Under the avenue of trees in Shakespeare's churchyard, a couple were chasing falling leaves, and I couldn't help joining in.
#stetwalk
#amediting
#stetwalk
#amediting
October 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Under the avenue of trees in Shakespeare's churchyard, a couple were chasing falling leaves, and I couldn't help joining in.
#stetwalk
#amediting
#stetwalk
#amediting
Dickens's novels were big on social commentary, often in a heavy and caricatured way. Kingsolver deftly weaves on her social commentary and points of history in a way that's beautiful to behold. I'm learning so much from this novel.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
October 15, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Dickens's novels were big on social commentary, often in a heavy and caricatured way. Kingsolver deftly weaves on her social commentary and points of history in a way that's beautiful to behold. I'm learning so much from this novel.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity