If you have a Gmail email address, did you know that you can use it as the basis for even more addresses?
Read MoreHow to have more than one Gmail address
Handy hints
The Professional Writer: 8 reasons to blog
Here are my reflections on some of the reasons that I think writers should maintain a blog.
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Tired out, by Terry Freedman
Renaming several files at the same time
If the thought of renaming lots of files individually is exhausting, how can you rename several files simultaneously on either a Mac or a PC?
Read MoreProofreading (by someone else) is essential
When it comes to proofreading, we tend to hear what we expect to hear. Why? And what can we do about it?
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The Notepad app, by Terry Freedman
Don't write off Notepad
Notepad can hardly be described as “feature-rich”, but can it still be useful?
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Bullets and numbers, screenshot by Terry Freedman
Bullets or numbers?
Should you use bullets or numbers in a list?
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Question mark, by Terry Freedman
First or firstly?
in Handy hints
Is it first, second etc, or firstly, secondly etc?
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Blog reading, by Terry Freedman
How to have blog posts come to you (instead of having to go to them)
in Handy hints, How to, Technology, Utility, Archives, Audio
You don’t always have to visit a blog to see the most recent article. Although it has fallen into disuse to some extent in recent years, there is a way of having the blog posts come to you. All you need are what is called an RSS feed, and an RSS feed reader.
Read MoreHow good is online workshopping?
Tutors, especially, but also students, should do their utmost to make full use of all the facilities that online tools afford.
Read MoreThe perils of online discussions: messaging
Now that your experience of being in a classroom has narrowed to the dimensions of your own study or living room, you may be interested to learn from some of the mistakes I have made when it comes to learning online.
Read MoreAlways wear trousers on Skype
Seeing as we are in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, with millions of people either in lockdown or self-isolating, many previously face-to-face activities are starting to be carried out online. I thought this true story might serve both as a cautionary tale and as some light relief.
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Aching feet, by Terry Freedman
An unexpected benefit of everything closing
Some ideas about what to do if you’re stuck at home because of Covid-19-related advice regarding social contact.
Read MoreReflections On Covid-19 and Writing: Endings And Some Practical Tips
Here are some practical things a writer can do in the current (Covid-19) circumstances.
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No time! By Terry Freedman
No time to write? Here are 7 things you can do about it
Most of us live in the real world rather than an ideal one, and sometimes find it almost impossible to find enough time to write productively. Here are seven things you can try to help ensure that when you do have time you’re not at a loss for words.
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A different way of thinking! Photo of a notice outside Chives cafe in London, by Terry Freedman
Using preverbs to break writer's block
How to use an Oulipo technique involving proverbs to get through writer’s block.
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Empty bench and table, by Terry Freedman
The power of the one-sided conversation
How about forgetting all that “She said…”, “He said…” stuff? There is real power in a piece of prose or poetry where you can “hear” only one side of the conversation.
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Frustration, by Terry Freedman
How to fix a phantom paper jam
What can you do if your printer tells you there’s a paper jam even though there isn’t? Try this solution.
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Editing Alt text in Mailerlite, by Terry Freedman
4 things to do when using your own illustrations on your blog
Using your own drawings and photos? Make sure you protect your intellectual property as best you can.
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Things may not be as bad as they seem…. Illustration: The Scream, by Terry Freedman, with apologies to Munch.
The upside of losing clients: 7 things you can in place of client work
Losing a client doesn’t have to be a complete disaster.
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Diverted Traffic, by Terry Freedman
"Negligible" is not a synonym for "small"
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.
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