It’s about selling, stupid!

It’s about selling, stupid!

Writers can be a funny bunch… Many dream of being appreciated for their bons mots and insights, imagining that their ability to construct an argument or inspire an emotional reaction elevates them above the hoi polloi. Some writers fall in love with their clever...
A tale of two techies…

A tale of two techies…

I heard an interesting story the other day… Sir Isaac Newton (that’s not him in the picture, by the way), after the publication of his Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy in 1687, was asked why he had written such an impenetrable book in dense,...
Why writing’s a waste of time…

Why writing’s a waste of time…

If you try to write for everyone, you’re likely to be wasting your time. Try shouting through a megaphone in the centre of town, you’ll probably get more ‘hits’. We’re surrounded by messages and we attune ourselves to them, zoning out what isn’t relevant – and bland,...
What my broken bike chain taught me about writing

What my broken bike chain taught me about writing

The chain on my bike broke this morning, so I took it to my nearest cycling emporium… In the window they had a beat-up looking bike with scuffed paintwork, a flat tyre, a frayed saddle, and a price tag – £100. It made me think. It made me think, ‘Hmm, must be an...