I’ve been a professional writer for 40 years, and an editor for almost as long. I value clarity, brevity and simplicity in the written word (and the spoken word, but that’s another story). I happen to agree with the words of former US President Thomas Jefferson, who once said: “The most valuable of talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” But I was horrified last week … [Read more...] about TL;DR? If this is too long for you to read, stop now…
editing
Why not zhoosh up your writing?
Let me ask you a few questions. Do you find writing a chore? Doubt your ability to write? Want to write blogs to promote your business but don’t know where to start? Have a website that is professional but doesn’t really show your personality? Get in a spin when it comes to deciding what to keep in and what to leave out of a blog, article or speech? Need a hand with editing and … [Read more...] about Why not zhoosh up your writing?
Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
In my last blog, I traced the development of my writing voice by looking back at the first reviews I wrote for the music paper Sounds. If you haven’t read it yet, click here. I identified eight learnings about how you might find your voice in the written word, which I’m now going to dig into in more detail. NB: These learnings apply to fiction and non-fiction, but please note I am not a … [Read more...] about Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
How did I develop my voice as a writer?
I often refer to myself as “the accidental journalist”. Becoming a professional writer wasn’t part of my career plan. I had trained to be a secretary, and that’s what I was – until I started working for the editor of Sounds, a rock music paper, and a year later found myself writing my first gig review and having it published under my pen name, Betty Page. I benefited from the “anyone can do it” … [Read more...] about How did I develop my voice as a writer?