READINGS AND WORKSHOPS

Amanda’s poetry readings draw on work from First the Feathers (Doire, 2017), Undercurrents (Alba, 2016) and The loneliness of the sasquatch (Alba, 2018), as well as new material from her forthcoming collection, Riptide. She is happy to structure readings to themes on request, and particularly enjoys working with musicians.

Amanda’s new course, ‘A Sense of Place: Discover Harold’s Cross through Creative Writing,’ was developed in response to the pandemic. Participants were encouraged to explore the neighbourhood, on foot and online, and to engage with their findings as writing prompts. The workshop can be adapted to any location. 

What participants said:

“Wonderful course, focussing on a sense of place and the natural world around us.” Michelle Walsh

“Brilliant course that has been really well thought out and put together with a sure touch to deliver maximum benefit to all participants.” Vincent Cahill 

“Amanda is a natural course-leader who knows how to maintain a delightful balance between providing information and readings to stimulate the creative process and encouraging fledgling writers to put pen to paper, providing constructive and insightful feedback at every turn.” Una G.  

 

Workshops based on The Lost Library Book are suitable for primary school students from second to sixth class. The workshop consists of a wide-ranging discussion about libraries and writing, a reading, q&a, and a bookplate-designing session using materials which she provides. A great resource for teachers.

Workshops based on Amanda’s collection Undercurrents explore the concept of psychogeography. They are suitable for secondary school students with an interest in creative writing, and examine how writers create a sense of place.

MENTORING

A combination of editing and workshopping, Amanda’s mentoring service is suitable for poets and writers preparing work for submission. For further details, please use the contact page.

EDITING AND PROOFREADING

Academics:

When you have been drafting a paper, book or thesis, it can be hard to read your own work without earlier drafts swimming in front of your eyes. Amanda will check your text for fragments left over from earlier drafts, read for sense, highlight any anomalies, check for consistency and house style. She works using Track Changes in Word, giving you full control over queries and changes.

Artists:

Catalogues and blogs are important points of contact with potential buyers and clients. They need to be just right. Amanda will take the stress out of this aspect of your practice, allowing you to focus on your creative work.

Authors/Self-publishers:

Before presenting your work to a publisher or agent, or having it printed yourself, you want it to be as ‘clean’ as possible: free of typos and nicely formatted. You may require more substantive editing: checking for character and plot consistency. Amanda will help you to get your book into the best possible shape before you send it out into the world.

Businesses:

Your written material is often the first point of contact with customers and clients. Amanda will make sure that all of your written work, from business cards to reports, promotional material to online content, reflects the professionalism of your organisation.

Consultancies:

Compiling and presenting information and producing reports are important aspects of your business. When a number of different people are involved on a project, you need to standardize their work. Having your reports copy-edited professionally prior to presentation or publication means that your research will be presented in the best possible light.

Publishing companies:

Amanda has 25-years experience as a proofreader, copyeditor and general project manager. She has excellent interpersonal skills and enjoys liaising with authors.

Students:

Producing a thesis is a daunting prospect. With the permission of your supervisor, Amanda will streamline your text before submission, ensuring that it is free of errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting, and that it conforms to the relevant style guide.

Writers’ Groups

When your writers’ group or organization chooses to publish a collection or anthology, be it prose, poetry, fiction or non-fiction, it is likely that different writers will use different styles and spellings. Amanda can make the process easy for you by liaising with individual authors, and standardizing the text and formatting, ensuring a professional looking publication. She is particularly interested in how to structure collections.