Will word for food

Work continues apace on the novel. I’m up to about page 65 of 300; there are sections I’ve not yet worked on, as they need fairly comprehensive re-writes, but I plan to work on those in one go. It turns out re-drafting is a more time-consuming activity than writing the first draft; more intensive, at… Continue reading »

The second of my creative writing class homework assignments was to write about a childhood memory. Childhood memories are normally very vivid; although they may be twisted a bit by the passage of time, if anything this enhances the way they can be described. Rose-tinted spectacles bring more colour to your memories. In fiction, of… Continue reading »

A brief, bizarre poem

As quiet as a sleeping beatnik – that’s the mixed-up simile I had to work with for this, the first of my creative writing homework assignments. Comments welcome.

Another very quick link – an absolute dream job.

OK, if you have 50 minutes to spare – while you eat your tea, if you’re me, for example – watch this. It’s Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe, so it’s NSFW because of swearing, but it’s also the most inspirational thing I’ve ever seen when it comes to writing. Utterly brilliant. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fvgj5/Charlie_Brookers_Screenwipe_Series_4_Episode_3/ (UK only, I’m afraid… sorry.… Continue reading »

It’s a familiar situation – you walk in to a party like you’re walking on to a yacht, and all of a sudden you get the feeling that the song playing is exactly about you and your life. Why is that? And how can we use that phenomenon to make our writing appeal to a broad cross-section of clients or stakeholders?

How to write a better scam email – keep it simple, stupid. The best writers use the shortest words.