About Me & How I Work

Why Fiction Yogi?
Fiction Yogi is me, Tina Williams, and I live in a small town in South Wales, UK, about 18 miles north of Cardiff. While fiction has been a constant throughout my life (as a fiction editor, proofreader, short story writer and novelist for the last ten years, but also a reader and book lover for forty and a fair bit), yoga is a practice I only began about two decades ago when my sons were small and I was in need of immediate stress relief!

In more recent years, my physical practice of yoga has developed into a balanced and mindful approach to life in general, and I've come to recognize that the principles that guide yoga also apply to fiction writing; novels, in particular.

Just as yoga cultivates balance through body-mind alignment, a novel requires a harmonious interplay of plot, character, settings, style and themes to create a compelling story. Yoga builds strength, resilience and stamina, the same qualities needed over weeks, months, or even years, to complete the writing and redrafting of a book. Finally, regular practice, a cornerstone of yoga, mirrors the discipline of writing consistently, even on the less productive days, remaining patient that ideas will flow in time, and skills will evolve and growth occur naturally.

Writing a novel is work. It requires strength of body and mind to persist through to completion; then to nurture the book to publication and beyond; and perhaps to do the same again and again throughout your career. While you may believe success is when your book reaches its end goal, i.e. in readers' hands, at some point I hope you recognize that the real benefits for you come long before that, during the work itself.

Success is a journey, not a destination.
The doing is often more important than the outcome.
Arthur Ashe

Yoga & Fiction Writing infographic: What makes them similar?

How I work
Needless to say, aside from my ongoing practice to incorporate the principles of yoga into daily life, I am passionate about reading, writing, books and literature; and as an editor, I greatly respect and value the agency you have as a writer over your own work.

When I edit, I do so instinctively and holistically (as opposed to a prescriptive, formulaic approach) - meaning, I'm guided by the heart and soul of your book, as well as your goals for it. What is your story trying to say, what emotions does it want to evoke in your readers, and how can we make that happen? I work with your voice, with your unique story, with your publishing goals, rather than against them.

Some of the things writers worry about are: What if I've missed something obvious - with my plot or the characters - or my spelling and grammar are an embarrassment? What if the book's really not that good? What if readers don't see it the way I do and trash it, or me, in reviews?

The list of fears is endless, and I sympathize because I've felt them myself (I've even written a booklet about them you can download free here). Hence I work sensitively and without judgement, alleviating you of those concerns so you can focus on the next task on your publishing list or get on with writing your next book.

Your goals are important, and they may differ depending on where you are in your writing career. You may be a first-time novelist seeking representation, a writer with just one burning story to leave as a legacy, or a career author with a small army of fans to please. No matter what, one of your goals will most certainly be to put your best book out there, and I'm here to help you reach that goal so you can query agents or hit the Publish button with confidence.

Full disclosure: Whilst I'm opposed to labelling (ourselves or others), there's no getting away from my introvert tendencies. Meaning my communications with you are carried out via email as opposed to video or phone calls. This allows me the time and space I need to give you well-considered, practical, and valuable responses, which is hugely important to me. It also ensures I have a record of our discussions for future reference.

My budget-friendly "test-the-water" services are for you to see how I work, and to reassure you I'm not a bot! If you need more convincing, however, feel free to drop me a line.

Writing is a solitary experience. It is alone that the words are first put down, arranged and rearranged, drafted, redrafted, punctuation erased and then put back again. But when you've done all you can, the next stage doesn't need to be done on your own.

I take huge pride in working with creative writers of all kinds across genres, helping them on their journey to publication. Each writer and each story is unique - in ability, style and purpose. I see no boundaries, no hierarchies, no boxes or glass ceilings. Writing - like reading - is for everyone.

So take a look around the site. Get a feel for if we'd be a good fit to work together. Then, if you're ready, drop me a line via the contact page so I can learn more about you, and how we can start meeting your publishing goals.

Editing & Proofreading Experience

Crime, Action Thriller, Dystopia, YA, Fantasy, Romance, Steampunk & Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi, Non-Fiction, Comedy, Mystery/Adventure, Historical, Contemporary & Literary.

In the form of novel, novella, anthology, short story & book series.

For children, young adult, new adult & adult audiences.

Experience working with self-publishers, those seeking representation, and an award-winning independent publisher of children's and YA fiction

Qualifications

BA (Hons) English Literature, First-class Honours, The Open University.
Fields of study: Creative Writing, Advanced Creative Writing, Twentieth-Century Literature: Texts and Debates, and Children's Literature; all completed with Distinction; the latter with an Outstanding Result award.

Basic Proofreading, Merit, The Publishing Training Centre (PTC).

Grammar at Work, completed, PTC.

Understanding Book Publishing, completed with Distinction, PTC.

Introduction to Fiction Editing, Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

Entry-Level Member of the Chartrered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

Writing Accomplishments

Novels published under the pen name, T.L. Dyer:
Hidden Sanctuary Dystopia Series
Hoskins & Fletcher Crime Series
The Code Zero Series

Short stories published in:
Sea of Ink: A Creative Writing Anthology
Fields of Words: A Creative Writing Anthology
Cardiff Women's Aid Creative Writing Competition
An Earthless Melting Pot
Writing Magazine
100 Voices Vol.2 Anthology

Giving Back

Reading has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I still vividly recall the excitement of receiving and opening a new book as a child; then lazy Sundays lounging on my bed as a teenager, lost to the pages of a novel for hours.

I was exceptionally lucky to live close to a library, and also to have parents who recognized the importance of reading. I was never without access to books.

Other children are not as lucky. That's why Fiction Yogi has chosen to support the UK's largest reading charity, BookTrust, whose aim is to get books into the homes of every child in the UK, giving them the opportunity to experience and explore the wonder of books, as well as the many developmental benefits reading offers.