I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published.
Read MoreTwo reviews for the price of one! Story Machines
I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote!
Read MoreMy Queen and I
A personal tribute.
Read MoreTwo for the price of one: Reviews of No Excuses Turning around one of Britain’s toughest schools
Written mainly in the form of a diary, this is an account of how Colwell’s headship changed the culture of a community’s school.
Read MoreTwo Book Reviews for the price of one! Futureproof: A Comprehensive Framework For Teaching Digital Citizenship In Schools
I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote!
Read MoreBook review: Brave New World -- the graphic novel
I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote!
Read MoreWhat's the point of book reviews?
I should have thought that part of the purpose of a book review is to tell potential readers whether the book is actually any good or not.
Read MoreStyle matters
If a piece of writing is too self-conscious, if it’s basically shouting “Hey, look at me. Isn’t this a fine piece of writing?” I lose interest. And I’m in good company: Trollope felt the same way.
Read MoreEssay for an advanced literary course
One of the things we should all do as writers is study other people's works to try to discern how they achieved particular effects, or how they use language. It's known as 'close reading'.
Read MoreFeedback From A Course Called Writing The Oulipo
The Oulipo is a writing movement that uses constraints to produce ‘potential literature’.
Read MoreBlogging: not dead yet
Every so often I read a blog post or a ‘commentary’ on Twitter by some self-appointed guru or other saying that blogging is passé.
Read MoreThe point of pointless writing (Updated)
Coming soon in the Write! newsletter
In addition to an update of my recent rejection story, the latest issue of my newsletter for creative nonfiction writers contains the following…
Read MoreBeware the ultracrepidarians
I’ve sat and listened politely while someone who has never written a thing in his life assured me that having a book published is tantamount to owning a money printing machine because of the earning of royalties.
A slow motion rejection revisited
Despite thirty years of success, one rejection was enough to dent my self-confidence. Self-doubt is never comfortable.
Read MoreA slow motion rejection (Updated)
Just in case I might get too complacent, a malignant Fate decreed that an article I’ve spent hours on has been rejected — by the person who commissioned it.
Read MoreNational Writing Day 2022: resources, reviews and tips
It’s the 23rd June 2022, and this year’s National Writing Day. Here are links to reviews of useful books about writing, resources for use in schools (some are good for adults too!) and top tips (ditto).
Read MoreWhat "interesting" REALLY means (or might do)
When did “interesting” become a synonym for “useful”? If anything, when the word “interesting” is used by an English person, usually means the opposite.
Read MoreCREATIVE NONFICTION: THE TYRANNY OF CHOICE
Here’s a creative nonfiction piece I wrote recently.
Read MoreWriting the Oulipo: A taster update
This course is running tomorrow (18 June 2022), and I’ve added a few more exercises for people to try out.
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