4 ways that Spark London is good for writers

January 16, 2014 in Creative Writing, News & views, Reviews, Technology

If you listen to blues songs, you will discover that amongst the angst, the stories of “my baby done packed her suitcase and caught the midnight train” (they must have amazing rail services in the USA because all the trains seem to depart at midnight), and being down and out, there are some real glimpses of a deeper Truth, with a capital “T”.

Typewriter art

January 06, 2014 in Technology, The lighter side

Remember typewriters? One of the things I used to try and do was to make pictures by typing the letter “X” over and over again in all the right places. For example, one of the images it was possible to create in this way was a Christmas tree. OK, so it wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but at least it kept me off the streets.

Consumers don’t want interactive ebooks

December 23, 2013 in Technology

The good news for those of us who prefer just to write than to be multimedia producers is that consumers in the UK have shown a marked lack of interest in so-called “enhanced” ebooks.

Organising yourself

December 09, 2013 in How to, Technology

The biggest problem facing the would-be writer is getting commissions. I think we all know what it’s like to receive rejection slips. Some of us could even paper our walls with them. The second biggest problem is how to organise yourself to not miss a deadline once you do start to get commissions. The best way, I’ve found, is to use a spreadsheet.

Technology-inspired words are definitely buzzworthy!

August 30, 2013 in Language, News & views, Professional writer, Staying updated, Technology

New words are always interesting, I think, and not just the ones that have been inspired by technology. But before I say any more about that, I feel the need to get something off my chest. Don’t worry, I won’t make this a long post: the last thing I want is people tweeting me to say TL;DR (too long; didn’t read).

Writing advice from 1937

July 18, 2013 in Handy hints, News & views, Professional writer, Technology

On one of my visits to second-hand bookshops I picked up a copy of The Writer, from January 1937. There are some things which haven’t changed, but the technology definitely has!

Ccleaner to the rescue

July 15, 2013 in Handy hints, Technology

It's often the case that something which looks like a big problem can be fixed pretty easily. Such was the case earlier today. I typed in a comment on my other website, but when I pressed "Post", a message popped saying "You are unable to post."

Very helpful!

Well, all sorts of things go through your mind at a time like that

Using your phone’s camera

November 02, 2012 in Creative Writing, Handy hints, Photography, Technology, Video

Phone cameras have been getting better and better, and I believe they are both useful and usable now, from a writer’s point of view.

Using the right search engine

June 26, 2012 in Handy hints, How to, Technology

What’s the right search engine to use? The answer is: there isn’t one. Different search engines typically give different results from each other, so your best bet is to carry out the same search in several search engines, not just one.

Inheriting ebooks

June 24, 2012 in News & views, Self-publishing, Technology

Amanda Katz asks: Will Your Children Inherit Your E-Books?

It’s a fascinating article. Is rummaging through the contents of a Kindle that belonged to your grandmother the same as rummaging through boxes of books that belonged to her, assuming that you can even access them?

Automatic writing

February 29, 2012 in News & views, Technology

The term “automatic writing” is usually associated with a particular psychic phenomenon. However, software now exists that can take data, such as sports results, and generate reports from it.