I am an editor and writer based in Geelong, Victoria, providing structural editing, copyediting, proofreading and beta reading services for fiction and non-fiction authors. After completing creative writing courses with The Writer’s Studio in Sydney, I studied at Victoria University in Footscray and obtained my Certificate IV in Creative Writing and Professional Editing.

Since opening my business, A Licence To Quill, in 2018, I have edited fiction and non-fiction books for Australian and overseas authors, created book trailers, and served as a judge for the Aurealis Speculative Fiction Awards for two years. I work with a variety of genres including historical fiction, memoir, fantasy, speculative fiction, romance and crime. My specialty is Structural Editing and Manuscript Assessment.

I created promotional videos for award-winning author Juliet Marillier’s fantasy trilogy, The Warrior Bards series (PanMacmillan Australia). The Harp of Kings, A Dance with Fate and Song of Flight were the official trailers for PanMacmillan, Australia. I also created a book video for ‘Mother Thorn – and other stories of Courage and Kindness‘ (Serenity Press)

You can read testimonials for my work here.

Ongoing Professional Development

I love learning, and there is always something new to learn in the business of editing and writing. Here are some of the courses/webinars I have enjoyed:

ASA Australian Society of Authors
The Traditional Publishing Landscape 2026

IPEd Victoria

Thesis Editing Webinar 2025

Structural Editing: Fiction with Nicola O’Shea – 2023

Academic editing from a freelance copyeditor’s perspective –   2023 Charlotte Cottier AE , CC Editing Services

An update on the Australian Government Style Manual – 2023

Towards a Model of Best Practice: Editing Fantasy Fiction in Author-Driven Publishing with Rachel Marchezi – 2024

Editing speculative fiction – 2024 with Jess Gately

Alice Pung: Writing and Editing Across Genres – July 2022

The heart of editing a romance – 2022

Copyediting Fiction with Nicola O’Shea – 2022

AUSTRALIAN WRITERS CENTRE (AWC)

• Plotting and Planning 2024 (Tutor Kate Forsythe)
• Historical Fiction 2023
• Fiction Essentials 2023
• Copywriting Essential 2022
• Content Writing 2022

Other

• Ken Follett – Writing Best Selling fiction 2025
• Paige Toon Novel Writing 2025

The Writers Studio (NSW)

Character & Critique Short Story GENRE 6-week course 2017

‘Unlocking Creativity’ 4-week course 2017 Tutor: Yasmin Kahn

My Previous Life

A Graduate of the Ensemble Theatre Acting Studios in Sydney, I was a professional comedian from 1993 to 2001, working in Australia, New Zealand and the United States alongside Richard Stubbs, Vince Sorrenti, and Julia Morris. I wrote for the ABC’ The Smallest Room in the House’ series and I have performed at Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Hero Festival in New Zealand, a New Zealand Comedy Tour with the>show ‘Short and Curly’ and toured San Francisco, Los Angeles and Palm Springs with the Melbourne Rainbow Band. I lived in London for five years, working first as a TV Casting Assistant and then as a Personal Assistant in a major theatrical agency, then headed home in 2006 to marry and have children. Both projects have endured and I have happily survived over 20 years of marriage and kept my twins alive – they are now 18 but still need me to do their washing…