They say there is a book in each one of us waiting to be written. If that is true it is probably easier for some people than others to turn that into a published book. The first decision to take […]

How NOT to write a novel – from an established author
Many months ago (in 2019) I read an interesting article by Fay Weldon in a Sunday magazine. She is the author of Life and Loves of a She-Devil that was also turned into an excellent TV series some years ago. […]

House style – Part 2
In part 1 I considered why a house style is necessary for a business – for reasons of consistency, brand identity, and economy. Here I will cover a few areas that should be considered based on UK English usage Writing […]

Developing a house style
Why you need a “house” style By “house” style I mean a writing or editorial style that a company or organization will aim to apply to all the documents and communications it produces. The same can perhaps apply to an […]

What proofreaders do not routinely do
In an earlier blog I discussed what proofreaders would normally do as part of their duties. There I touched on aspects of writing and publication that proofreaders would not normally be involved in: copy-editing, copyright and permissions, indexing, literary appraisal, […]

Points to watch for when revising text
It is always good practice to revise and if necessary completely rewrite text in documents to ensure that they are accurate, concise, and the best they can be. Straightforward you might think and Aleksandr Orlov, TV superstar meerkat might say […]

Pen names and other authorship devices
A pen name, also known as a nom de plume, is an assumed name used by a writer instead of their own real name. It can also be a variant form of their real name and might be known only […]

The dangers of failing to proofread
Put yourself in your readers’ shoes: how would you feel if you had received a document or publication from someone that contained numerous errors and inconsistencies? Even worse if you had paid good money for it. You would might possibly […]

The importance of humour in writing
Next to a plot or central purpose, humour is possibly the next most important ingredient of writing. Perhaps humour would not be welcomed in a textbook on physics or a philosophical discourse, but certainly for fiction, travel books, memoirs, and the like it can be a valuable way of injecting some character and light relief. There are several reasons for this.

Authors’ quotations on writing: What do writers think of their craft?
I have discussed previously authors’ quotations about each other – sometimes derogatory – but how do they and others regard the craft of writing? Here are a few of the more humorous ones.
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