October 2010
24 posts
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Housekeeping
Because this blog has gained something of a following (hello everyone) and because I’ve not posted as frequently and haphazardly as I first thought I might, I’ve decided to change the site’s look and feel.
I liked the previous design, but it wasn’t suitable for text-based longer posts, which seems to be the direction I’m taking. This more minimal, more flexible...
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Extract: ‘Steal’ from Whatever You...
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Why writers should always have more than one...
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“The best writing come not from the heart, but from research, practice and a...”
– The best writing comes from the head, not the heart | Write for Your Life
Apologies for quoting and linking again to a post that I’ve written elsewhere, but this one’s important.
It’s my response to the rubbish that gets passed all to frequently as writing advice on the otherwise...
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“I see too many student writers that are unwilling to edit and rewrite, let alone...”
– The marvellous Randy Murray commenting on a post of mine about quality over quantity when practising your writing.
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“When reviewing devices, there is a temptation to barrage the reader with facts,...”
– Kindle, iPad, Kobo, Nook?
Very true, especially about Apple. That said, he also has a point when later in the article he refers to the ‘malevolent temptation’ of all the things the iPad offers beyond your reading.
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Fiction Uncovered →
This looks to be a fantastic new project for UK authors.
It’s supported by the Arts Council too and the steering group includes some great people, including Kevin Conroy Scott of Tibor Jones (who represent my novel)!
Welcome to Fiction Uncovered, an exciting new promotion which will uncover our best fiction writers and find wider audiences for their writing. The promotion is supported by...
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On failure →
I recently talked about how I try to think about my novel, and writing in general, along the following lines: Reach for the stars. Expect nothing.
This article reinforces my thinking and underlines how important it is to find that balance between confidence and being realistic.
When I’m sitting across from a writer who is pitching their book to me, I’m often feeling a little...
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Habits
So I am now an iPad owner. Hurrah!
And it seems I’m also a bit of a nit, because it’s taken me a number of hours to realise that the reason there are no apps from Tumblr, Facebook and the like is because the iPad offers a perfectly brilliant web experience. Honestly. I’m supposed to be techno-sensible.
I’ll report back soon with some thoughts and impressions on the...
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WatchThose of you who follow this blog will be aware that, by day, I’m a copywriter for a design company. What you might not know is that my job requires me to know a thing or two about web design and development, especially when it comes to usabilty and accessibility.
Anyway, turns out, the chaps at Carsonified have decided to make all Think Vitamin video tutorials on web accessbility available...
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“How does one get better at writing? I can’t be a definitive source, citing the...”
– Frank Chimero
I totally agree about reading high quality writing. It’s a very sensible thing to do. Practising is also a good idea, of course, but allow me to add this: go for quality, not quantity.
I’ve had a couple of cyber-arguments about this with other writers and it seems...
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“It won because it was the best book. You expect a book by Howard Jacobson to be...”
– Howard Jacobson wins Booker prize 2010 for The Finkler Question | The Guardian
Congratulations to Howard Jacobson on The Finkler Question becoming the first funny bone-tickling novel to win the Booker.
As a man with a novel that could easily be described as a lighthearted look at voyeurism and...
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52 Tiger » Business language for a consumer... →
Today Microsoft demonstrated the forthcoming Windows Phone 7. I liked the phone but not the presentation. Gruber articulates exactly why.
“This bureaucrat-ese is intended, I suppose, to sound serious.”
The event was riddled with business jargon and CEO-speak. It felt like a young professionals workshop, not the introduction of a consumer device. That’s typical of Microsoft and exactly why the...
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My 'Sweet Mac Setup' →
I was chuffed to bits when Shawn Blanc contacted me and asked me to take part in his Sweet Mac Setups series.
Click the link to see how and where I write!
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Glassesgate, green publishing and defending... →
After a long hiatus, I’ve finally recorded a new episode of the Write for Your Life podcast, which covers many of the things mentioned right here on Broomeshtick!
All feedback welcome. Especially the good stuff.
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“Does a multi-use gadget such as the iPad increase the environmental credentials...”
– Are ebooks greener than paper books? | Leo Hickman | Environment | guardian.co.uk
What at first seems like a no-brainer - no more printing, save the trees! - increasingly looks like a flawed theory, especially in these early years of e-reader adoption.
Like the iPod’s evolution, e-reader...
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The rhyme and reason of reading to dementia... →
Reading aloud to groups of people with dementia has been found to stimulate memories and imagination – and a new anthology, compiled by Liverpool-based The Reader charity, provides inspiration.
My novel is about dealing with a stroke. I suspect reading aloud to stroke patients would have a similar result. I’ll tell you why in a second.
Working in care homes can be challenging, says...
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“Twitter has destroyed my writing, but not as much as interacting with people...”
– Sommer Browning, on how Twitter has affected her writing. (via whokilled) (via somethingchanged) (via electronicalrattlebag)
Utterly nuts. But I like it.
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1000+
I started Write for Your Life just before Christmas in 2008, partly to learn the mechanics of WordPress for work purposes, partly to start building a platform for my own writing. And like many new bloggers, I read plenty of articles about blogging.
But the truth is, I ignored most of them. I didn’t post daily, for instance (barely once a month at one point). Instead, I tried to make sure...
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Evening edition - Bobulate →
Today, few markers mark time. We make our own markers, using light as a guide on some days, milestones and deadlines on more frenetic ones. But it’s the rare person who, at 6PM, can walk, head high, out of the studio or office, turning day into night and one thing into another. Marking the fact that it’s time to play.
I’m about to move back to the city after two years living in a cottage...