People should say what they mean. One way of doing so would be to use the correct word. Another way would be to use objective facts rather than subjective value judgements.
Read MoreDiverted Traffic, by Terry Freedman
Handy hints
Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0
7 features of bad writing
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.
Read MoreLists: Bullets or numbers?
When should you use bullet points, and when numbers? Read on to find out.
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Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0
Too tired to write?
If you're too tired to write, AND you wear glasses, maybe this is the solution. One of these days I'll learn, and I'm hoping this post will serve as a reminder -- to myself!
Read MoreHow to organise your books
in Bookshelf, Handy hints, How to
If you have a tonne of books, what's the best way of organising them? Here are a few suggestions.
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High Street Kensington: more than just a station. Come out of the station, turn left, and it's a nice walk or short bus ride to Olympia, where #LBF17 was held. Photo by Terry Freedman 2017
London Book Fair 2017 Bulletin #3
What I learnt on the last day of the London Book Fair 2017.
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With apologies to Edvard Munch
5 Ways to guard against losing your work UPDATED
What could be worse than losing all of your carefully crafted work? Here are 5 ways to protect yourself against that happening.
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The iCloud.com dashboard
A big problem with iCloud
in Handy hints, How to
If you use the Notes app on an Apple device like an iPad, and wish to access your notes from an Android device, such as an HTC smartphone, here's a work-around.
Read MoreSwipe to write
A handy hint for writing on the move.
Read More5 free and low-cost ebook websites
If you have an ebook reader or app, especially the Kindle, then you're in luck. Here are 5 free and low-cost services from which you can obtain new books every day!
Read More5 minute tip: get more from your battery
If you use a device like a phone, laptop or netbook, here's a handy tip to help you enjoy more writing time between battery charges.
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What I'm reading: Write Tight
Thumbnail sketch of a very useful book I came across recently. If you want to tighten up your prose, this is the book for you.
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5 minute tip: Using a spell-checker
Spellcheckers are useful, even essential. But don't rely on them exclusively.
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An old typewriter
John Steinbeck's advice to writers
John Steinbeck on writing.
Read MoreA laptop charging tip
An obvious sort of tip that may be beneficial nevertheless.
Read MoreThe Carrot2 Search Engine
The Carrot2 search engine can be a useful alternative to Google.
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A dictionary is an invaluable resource. Photo from www.pixabay.com CC0
2 strategies and 6 online resources for finding the right words
in Handy hints, Language, Reference
If you want to make sure that you use the correct word more often than not, you gotta have a plan.
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Image from Pixabay.com CC0
The ultimate beginner's guide to writing essays
in Handy hints
The importance of outlining, and other useful advice, is included in this infographic. Despite the title, there is much here of relevance to writing in general.
Read More7 ways to manage technical support for writers
Most writers use a computer of some sort these days, and the thing about computers is that they go wrong. It’s not an ‘if’, but a ‘when’. In my experience, it happens when you have a deadline for the same day or when you were just about to dash out of the door to start your holiday. Unless you’re working for a company or some sort of co-operative, chances are you are your own technician. So what can you do to minimise the pain?5 Ways to further your writing project when you can’t work on it directly
There can be several reasons why it is not possible to work on your book, blog or other writing project. Maybe you’ve saved it in the cloud, and don’t have an internet connection. Perhaps you didn’t think you would have the time to write, so didn’t take your laptop with you. Or maybe you’re waiting outside the school gates. Whatever the reason, you can usually still do something. Here are the strategies that I’ve found work for me.