Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
@judithleask.bsky.social
Fiction editor, creative writer, CIEP member, varied reader, 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
Reedsy.com/judith-leask
W: justrightediting.co.uk
Reedsy.com/judith-leask
I've picked up my novella-length WIP again. I don't think it's totally pants (but who knows?) and I'm now drowning in scribbled and disorganised notes. Time to put them down and keep writing. That's the fun part, anyway!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
February 16, 2026 at 8:46 PM
I've picked up my novella-length WIP again. I don't think it's totally pants (but who knows?) and I'm now drowning in scribbled and disorganised notes. Time to put them down and keep writing. That's the fun part, anyway!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
The relevance of art ❤️
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 6:21 PM
The relevance of art ❤️
There's so much in the topic of viewpoint. Do you head-hop? Transition gently between POVs? Use limited? An omniscient narrator with their own voice? Slip into neutral and leave your reader at sea? Go deep, so there's no narrator at all? It's all in here.
#writingcommunity
bit.ly/49WKzD9
#writingcommunity
bit.ly/49WKzD9
Perfecting your viewpoint
Getting your viewpoint right in your fiction is a key element of good writing – and one of the most common things that an editor will comment on.Which character?Getting your viewpoint right involves d...
bit.ly
February 3, 2026 at 5:11 PM
There's so much in the topic of viewpoint. Do you head-hop? Transition gently between POVs? Use limited? An omniscient narrator with their own voice? Slip into neutral and leave your reader at sea? Go deep, so there's no narrator at all? It's all in here.
#writingcommunity
bit.ly/49WKzD9
#writingcommunity
bit.ly/49WKzD9
Do you ever admire an author more for their values and what they say in real life than for their writing? I've just bought Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness (what a great title!) because I'd love to love her work more - even though I don't read much science fiction.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
February 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Do you ever admire an author more for their values and what they say in real life than for their writing? I've just bought Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness (what a great title!) because I'd love to love her work more - even though I don't read much science fiction.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
George Monbiot is spot on. Labour's authoritarian pro-business mindset gave us Mandelson and everything he did.
1. In 2009 I wrote this. I argued that Peter Mandelson's department “functions as a fifth column within government, working for corporations to undermine democracy and the public interest.”
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
Mandelson’s Fifth Column
The British government’s business department exists to undermine democracy.
www.monbiot.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:19 AM
George Monbiot is spot on. Labour's authoritarian pro-business mindset gave us Mandelson and everything he did.
Let's hear it for the editors 😊
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Marcel Proust, whose novel In Search of Lost Time is known for a scene in which the narrator dips a madeleine into a cup of tea, originally wrote the scene featuring tea and a slice of bread-and-butter. His editor persuaded him to change it. Proust's most famous scene was introduced by his editor.
January 30, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Let's hear it for the editors 😊
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
People are amazing 🥹
brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis
January 27, 2026 at 9:16 AM
People are amazing 🥹
Nature is fun. Patience is needed, though! About three months ago I took some cuttings from a jade plant and stripped some of the leaves. They looked a bit daft just arranged on top of the soil. But look! Tiny new plants!
January 24, 2026 at 10:50 AM
Nature is fun. Patience is needed, though! About three months ago I took some cuttings from a jade plant and stripped some of the leaves. They looked a bit daft just arranged on top of the soil. But look! Tiny new plants!
Reposted by Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
Help us make hope normal again.
Join the Green Party now.
Join the Green Party now.
January 22, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Help us make hope normal again.
Join the Green Party now.
Join the Green Party now.
It's said that to be a socialist is to be right but six months early.
When we said NATO wasn't working we were derided.
When we said a nuclear weapons system relying on the US is dangerous we were called stupid.
The truth is the establishment are more interested in kissing US feet than keeping the UK safe.
It's time for a rethink.
When we said a nuclear weapons system relying on the US is dangerous we were called stupid.
The truth is the establishment are more interested in kissing US feet than keeping the UK safe.
It's time for a rethink.
January 18, 2026 at 5:01 PM
It's said that to be a socialist is to be right but six months early.
Reposted by Judith Leask | Fiction Editor
FOX: Where’s the protest against the regime that's killing people in the street right now?
Trent: They are doing those today. It’s called the ICE protests
FOX: Are they talking about Iran at the ICE protests?
Trent: No, I think they are talking about the regime that is shooting people in the face
Trent: They are doing those today. It’s called the ICE protests
FOX: Are they talking about Iran at the ICE protests?
Trent: No, I think they are talking about the regime that is shooting people in the face
January 11, 2026 at 5:44 PM
FOX: Where’s the protest against the regime that's killing people in the street right now?
Trent: They are doing those today. It’s called the ICE protests
FOX: Are they talking about Iran at the ICE protests?
Trent: No, I think they are talking about the regime that is shooting people in the face
Trent: They are doing those today. It’s called the ICE protests
FOX: Are they talking about Iran at the ICE protests?
Trent: No, I think they are talking about the regime that is shooting people in the face
Delightful use of 'lampshading' in the BFG production at the RSC - where the writers are letting you know they know a plot point is illogical and make a joke out of it because they're not going to change it.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
January 8, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Delightful use of 'lampshading' in the BFG production at the RSC - where the writers are letting you know they know a plot point is illogical and make a joke out of it because they're not going to change it.
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Ah, the balance between making the characters real (no, they can't keep moving for two days without sleeping, eating or going to the loo) and refraining from plodding through every minor detail of their existence!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 383278:
Your characters need to eat, sleep, play, and do things that don't serve the plot. Characters that exist only to serve the plot seldom come across as convincing.
Your characters need to eat, sleep, play, and do things that don't serve the plot. Characters that exist only to serve the plot seldom come across as convincing.
January 6, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Ah, the balance between making the characters real (no, they can't keep moving for two days without sleeping, eating or going to the loo) and refraining from plodding through every minor detail of their existence!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
I think my taste in music might be as varied as my taste in literature. My playlist contains Smashing Pumpkins, Meghan Trainor and piano concertos by Liszt. What's the literary equivalent to that? Tolstoy and Terry Pratchett?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
January 5, 2026 at 5:37 PM
I think my taste in music might be as varied as my taste in literature. My playlist contains Smashing Pumpkins, Meghan Trainor and piano concertos by Liszt. What's the literary equivalent to that? Tolstoy and Terry Pratchett?
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
If the US does this to Cuba, I'm going to cry.
January 4, 2026 at 10:21 AM
If the US does this to Cuba, I'm going to cry.
Last night we played 'who am I?' (You know, the game where you have a famous name on a post-it on your forehead and ask questions until you guess who you are.) I made a rule - every second person had to be a woman. My son couldn't do it 😔
December 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Last night we played 'who am I?' (You know, the game where you have a famous name on a post-it on your forehead and ask questions until you guess who you are.) I made a rule - every second person had to be a woman. My son couldn't do it 😔
'Those with real needs must, it seems, pay the price for Rachel Reeves' budget obsessions in John Burn-Murdoch's opinion.'
The FT’s analysis of autism and ADHD prevalence is deeply worrying www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
The FT’s analysis of autism and ADHD prevalence is deeply worrying
I have, for a while, thought that John Burn-Murdoch, who works for the Financial Times, is one of the best statistical journalists in the business. I had, in fact, grown accustomed to accepting his da...
www.taxresearch.org.uk
December 17, 2025 at 9:20 AM
'Those with real needs must, it seems, pay the price for Rachel Reeves' budget obsessions in John Burn-Murdoch's opinion.'
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.