I write this in the new role of full time writer. Officially, my retirement starts on 5th April and my 65thbirthday isn't until next month. But, for reasons I won’t bore you with, I finished employment on 21stMarch. Last week was supposed to be a holiday, to ease the passage from one stage to another. However, outside events intervened and I spent some of that in hospital and much of the time since in recovery. The knee’s progressing well and I’mnow able towalk unaided for short distances. It’s been a ... read more »
The "QWERTY" layout of typewriter keys became a de facto standard and continues to be used long after the reasons for its adoption (including reduction of key/lever entanglements) have ceased to apply. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Several centuries back, when I was a young stripling with grandiose ideas and the energy to consider them achievable, I started out as a freelance photo-journalist. At the time, my first wife and I occupied a semi-basement flat that nestled beneath a Tudor farmhouse. It had once... read more »
Paradoxically, it seems likely that fear of success is what most holds me back. The questions is, ‘Why?’ I can write fluently, without preparation or planning, more or less at will. And I know how much that will piss off some of you, sorry! I can find ten reasons not to write, even though I enjoy writing and know that’s what I should be doing at the time. Perverse nature, idiocy, or something deeper, like laziness? Writer’s block is a problem for others. I have my own hurdles to jump. Generally, I build ... read more »
Image via Wikipedia Writers are a funny bunch. We each have our own self-imposedrules, routines, favourites and hates. I know of authors who can no more createat the keyboard than they can lay an egg. But my method of composition now dependsutterly on the keyboard. This is despite the fact that I can't touch type anduse only two fingers (not those two!) and a thumb (either will do, I'm notprejudiced). I have to look at the keyboard as I write and then glance at thescreen, with Word's spelling correction... read more »
