Photo by Davide Goldin on Unsplash

The Poseidon Predicament

October 25, 2018

What Kafka’s Poseidon and I — and probably every other freelance — have in common.

Why swearing in writing or speaking is (usually) very ill-judged

October 22, 2018

Gratuitous swearing usually adds nothing to a piece of writing or a talk. It’s unpleasant to listen to, and probably has unfortunate consequences for the offender.

The Late Lines stage, by Terry Freedman

An interesting literary event

August 24, 2018

Late Lines is an event run by the City Lit adult education institute in London. Here’s a brief report of the most recent one, plus key dates for your literary calendar.

Fast writing, by Terry Freedman

Fast writing tips: forget perfection...

August 17, 2018

Another quick tip for writers who want to get stuff done.

Photo by Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash

Prose, poetry and blues

August 6, 2018

How attending a prose and poetry evening caused me to make a few changes in my life.

Fast writing, by Terry Freedman

Fast writing tips: Repeating yourself

August 6, 2018

Another fast writing tip: using a specific keyboard shortcut in Word.

Fast writing, by Terry Freedman

Fast writing tips: Keyboard shortcuts

July 20, 2018

How can keyboard shortcuts help you to write faster?

Fast writing, by Terry Freedmman

Fast writing tips: Research on the move

July 18, 2018

Part pf the art of writing fast is using time wisely. In this article I look at how to read pdfs for research on your Kindle.

A bus, by Terry Freedman

Books and buses

July 16, 2018

Books (as a collection) have more in common with buses than you might think!

Photo from pexels.com Licence: CC0

A seminar day for educational writers

May 22, 2018

Coming up in June: a useful conference for those who write educational materials and books.

I'll probably regret this, but...

May 18, 2018

Next week I’ll be reading an article of mine. It’s memoir, not education. Read on for details of the event, which features a reading by author Jane Lythell.

What I'm reading: Dictator Literature

April 20, 2018

So you think you've read some atrocious writing in your life? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Please! No more awful pitches! Photo by Mintchipdesigns. Licence: CC0

It starts with a pitch

April 16, 2018

If your initial pitch to an editor is not well-researched or well-written, you won't even make it to square one with that publication or publisher. What are the common errors, and where can you find examples of bad practice?

The London Book Fair 2018: the first day. Photo by Terry Freedman

The London Book Fair 2018: initial thoughts

April 13, 2018

Here's a quick round-up of the things I'll be discussing in my next newsletter, including censorship, publishing myths and a marketing website.

What I've been reading: Something nasty in the slush pile (updated)

April 13, 2018

How should you pitch a publisher with your book proposal? Or, to look at this another way, how should you not do so? This book answers that question.

What I've been reading: How not to write a novel

April 10, 2018

Even if you are a non-fiction writer, this book is worth reading.

Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0

7 features of bad writing

April 9, 2018

Another article in the 'bad writing' series, 7 Features of Bad Writing suggests some common characteristics of poor prose. Any one of these 'sins' would serve as an indicator, especially if they occur more than once or twice.