The following rules can be adapted (to an extent) by any tutor teaching an online course to adults or young adults.
Read MoreTerry's top tips for tutors using Zoom
The lighter side
My expanding reading list
My reading list keeps expanding faster than I can keep up. Why?
Read MoreHow to appear erudite in writing
How can a writer’s choice of words convey a false impression of their knowledge of the topic in question?
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Diverted traffic, by Terry Freedman
Domino effect -- or why I did no writing this afternoon
Is the domino effect merely one elaborate displacement activity, to put off the act of writing?
Read More“Oh yes, I really like the way the writer portrays something or other, and how nuanced his use of blah blah blah”
Lit crit: a mathematical approach
When it comes to literary criticism, are words alone sufficient?
Read MoreNew online blogging course
Updated! Here are some preliminary details of a blogging course I’ve been asked to teach.
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Buzzsaw screenshot, by Terry Freedman
Bad PR jargon, and how to detect it
If you’re tired of people “reaching out” or “circling back” or sending you sales “literature” that bears no relevance to you whatsoever, you will enjoy learning that you’re not alone.
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Cure, by Terry Freedman
Signs of the times
Signs in the environment can provide great stimulation for our imagination, and tell us about history in some cases too.
Read MoreRich-featured software often leads to headaches
in Audio, Archives, Technology, The lighter side, Word
Solving one problem in a writing program like Word can lead to others.
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Inside a second-hand bookshop, by Terry Freedman
Not quite nearly fine: some terms used by antiquarian booksellers
Like all professions, book selling has its own peculiar nomenclature.
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Book covers, by Terry Freedman
How to enhance your bookshelves for online meetings
How to appear well-read in Zoom meetings!
Read MoreWhat An Insulting Site! (Update)
Listen, thou fobbing clapper-clawed clotpole! The internet is useful for more things than mere facts.
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.
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Shock, Horror! by Terry Freedman.jpg
Sect's Grindstones! The message decoded
My Christmas, Oulipo-inspired message decoded.
Read MoreA brilliant animated cartoon
You don’t always need words to get your meaning across!
Read MoreRevoke of the Penny Borough of Ourselves
One of the techniques employed by the Oulipo is known as N+7. This is where you take each noun, and replace it with a word that is seven words on in the dictionary. Of course, results vary according to what dictionary you use. The following article is an N+7 version of my review of the Penguin Book of Oulipo. Enjoy!
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No photography, by Terry Freedman
Photoprompt #19: No photography
Another photo to act as a writing prompt, this time of a sign.
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Baffled, by Terry Freedman.jpg
A conversation I had which I still don't understand
A recent conversation I had with a cab company has left me completely baffled.
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