Every so often I read some pundit, or usually a journalist pretending to be a pundit, suggesting that blogs are dead. What can I say? They’re not.
Read MoreBlogger,+by+Terry+Freedman
Reflections
station platform, by Terry Freedman
The train now standing on platform 10
Transport in London these days is, for the most part, sleek, efficient. The epitome of this newish Utopia is the Elizabeth Line, with its silent, gliding carriages, air-conditioning and wi-fi. The announcements are soothing...
Read MoreCan writers learn from computer programmers?
in Bookshelf, Reflections
Introducing and applying Conway's Law, Gresham's Law and the sunken cost fallacy to the practice of writing.
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Libraries, by Terry Freedman
Library madness: a trabble of trouble
in Reflections
The worst thing about belonging to more than one library is that it's all too easy to take a book back to the wrong one. I did that a few months ago, and the following conversation ensued.
Read MoreNot just a numbers game
in Reflections
I’ve been thinking about definitions of success recently.
Read MoreGeoffrey Chaucer's Complete Works: which edition do YOU prefer?
in Bookshelf, Reflections
We visited the William Morris Gallery at the weekend, and Chaucer’s Complete Works was one of the books Wm Morris published.
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The original page containing my article, somewhat mangled after decades of languishing in a box
My first piece of published nonfiction
in Reflections
At the tender age of 17 I was in college, and a student representative on a body called the Joint Consultative Committee. This was a means by which the Principal could learn about the concerns of students in order to, hopefully, address them.
Read MoreA remarkable achievement: a shout-out to underconfident writers who do it anyway
in Reflections
The most difficult thing for a saxophone learner to do is open the case and pick up the instrument every day.
Read MoreAutomated writing
years.
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.
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Picture by Ideogram
I never have writer's block, but...
So the great prolificist had run out of ideas, eh? Well actually no: I had the opposite problem. I’d had so many ideas and corresponding false starts that I was floundering in a sea of ideas.
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Saxophonist, by Terry Freedman
Genuine writing
On Friday I picked up my sax for the first time in a month. I attempted to play Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow. It started off ok-ish, but then the timing went and so did the right notes. Well, you can’t have everything I suppose.
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Books to be reviewed ,by Terry Freedman
Indexes and tables of contents
in Bookshelf, Reflections
One of the first things I look for when reviewing a non-fiction book is whether or not it contains an index. If it does, the next thing I check is whether the index is actually useful.
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You're joking, right? By Terry Freedman
The Bartleby Response
in Reflections
The Bartleby response is, in my opinion, one of the most quotable examples of American gothic literature.
Read MoreBunbury and Bales
in Reflections
Although I’ve read both The Importance of Being Earnest, and Stephen Potter’s One-Upmanship books, many times over the years, it has only just struck me that, in one particular chapter, Potter may have been influenced by Wilde.
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Archives, by Terry Freedman
On this day: Inheriting ebooks
On 24 June 2012 I reported on some discussions around the question of whether you can inherit ebooks, or pass them on to your heirs.
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slumped, by Terry Freedman
Writing when distracted
If I didn’t write while I’m distracted by things going on I’d never write at all. Is the answer to go on a writing residential, once they’re running again?
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imposter syndrome, by Terry Freedman
Call yourself a writer? Imposter syndrome
There’s a good chance that I’ve led a sheltered life, have very low standards, or both, but in my opinion the degree to which someone suffers from imposter syndrome is inversely related to how good they really are.
Read MoreBudding writers should welcome antiplagiarism software
in Reflections
I like to think that had there been anti-plagiarism software around when I was at school, and had my English teacher used it, I’d have been saved years of wasting time looking for ways to make money. I’d have enjoyed more sleep too.
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