A good blog post is supposed to have a clear focus, a single point. But I’d just like to ramble on for a bit about what a wonderful week I’ve had. On Wednesday, I was off to the Museum of Childhood in London to help kick start an exciting new writing project, 26 Treasures of …
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Writer, grow a beard
Every writer should grow a beard (females excluded, I suppose). That is what I conclude from a seven-month journey into the world of facial hair. I stopped shaving at a music festival last August. My Dad grew a beard when he was my age, as did my father-in-law. I’d always felt I’d try it one …
How to be a successful writer (and how to fail)
I went for a haircut yesterday. I seem to have arrived at the point in life where I have a Stylist. I’m not sure if that is a consequence of age or income. Her name is Louise. She likes the fact that I’m a writer and a “creative”; it’s what we talk about as she …
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Learning how to write, all over again
Our household has gone a bit China mad lately. For the two youngest children, China is their school topic this term. They have been drawing dragons, writing about the artist Ai Weiwei, making kites, and such like. I’ve been involved, too. Alongside its China topic, their primary school is trying to get its children more …
Apple, Siri and Found Poems
I was reading today about the Siri app on iPhone 4s. Basically, you can ask your phone a question, or give it a task to do, and it will understand what you mean and respond. It recognises natural language instructions, and apparently does a rather good job of it. Googling around for information about how …
Dark Angels: What I learned in Scotland
I’ve earned a living as a business writer for over twenty years and written fiction for almost eight. But throughout that time, a dividing wall has kept my “corporate” writing separate from my “creative” work. The former pays the bills, the latter nourishes the soul, and never the twain shall meet. That used to be …
Reading with White Rabbit
An interesting new writerly experience for me last week. I was lucky enough to have one of my stories selected for a public reading by the lovely people at White Rabbit a while ago, and on Wednesday I went along to a pub in Ashford to see it performed. I’ve read my own stories to …
Staying analogue
(This post started life as a comment added to someone else’s blog. Thought I might add it here, too) I bought myself an iPad last week – or rather, it finally arrived last week – so that I had another way of writing when out and about. I’ve since been reflecting on the “cool” new …
Today’s favourite word: Cummerbund
I just updated my membership of 26, the brilliant community of creative business writers. As part of the process, I had to nominate my favourite word. I don’t really have one of those. Or if I do, it would probably take days of ruminations to decide what it might be. So, in a hurry, I …
South Bank Poetry
Walking along the south bank of the Thames today, I came across a wonderful poetry installation. Called the Lion and the Unicorn, it’s part of the Festival of Britain anniversary celebrations. Hope the images from my Blackberry are legible.