Writing about writing
From the category archives:
My iPhone has become more than a phone; it’s become an indispensible part of my life. The main reason is the number of apps that I use. I have 178 in iTunes and about half that number actually on the phone. They help me navigate, check the weather, book restaurants, learn Dutch, play, communicate etc. [...]
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Online applications give me a competitive edge. I want to be a ‘big little company’ with the same (or better) IT capabilities as the biggest of my clients. I try to make the maximum use of online applications because they let me deploy new capabilities quickly without adding to my IT or admin burdens. This [...]
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I’m a sucker for small, ultraportable PCs. I am the proud owner of an Toshiba Libretto 70CT, OQO, HP95, Newton, Sony Vaio P11z, HP 2133, Kindle and an iPhone (my third). The iPad left me feeling a bit ‘so what’. Too big, too limited. But now I’ve spotted a new thing to want: the HP [...]
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If you want to be a great writer, be a great reader. There are lots of ways to improve your writing but mindfully reading other people’s work is one of the most pleasurable and effective. This is why I love my new Kindle. It lets me keep a portable library of great writing with me [...]
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I often use dial-in conference call systems with my big clients. Some of them really like to share presentations and desktops using web conferences alongside a phone call or conference call. I also use Skype to video conference with my Dutch teacher. In my quest to become a very big little company – to use [...]
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I have recorded a few interviews recently using my iPhone and its built-in voice memo application. I sent them away for transcription (I’ve found a couple of ways of getting this done online for about $30-60/hour of recording) but the quality wasn’t that great for the typist. However, I think I’ve found the answer: the [...]
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Interruptions kill productivity. But background noise can slow you down in less obvious ways: Fatigue. Noise makes you tired. Just as shouting over loud music in a bar strains your voice, your brain has to work harder to filter out unwanted information. Poor concentration. It’s more likely that your brain will latch onto some background [...]
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I’ve just discovered Daytum. It’s mission is to let you “collect, categorize and communicate your everyday data.” What this means in practice is a configurable dashboard that lets you add numerical information and display it using a range of graphs. Here are some possible uses for writers: Tracking word count output day by day Monitoring [...]
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Ambitious journalism student, Alex Cooper, introduces us to Teeline Shorthand with his debut guest post for Bad Language. In this article I will go through the basic structure of Teeline Shorthand, a brief history and some tips for learning it along the way. Teeline was invented by James Hill in 1970. It is aimed at [...]
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Novelist and geek-hero Charlie Stross writes about the drawbacks of using what-you-see-is-what-you-get word processors to write novels: Changing file formats Proprietary file formats WYSIWYG “conflates document content with presentation” Heavily marked-up text isn’t suitable for use online Word mixes inline and style-sheet formatting His solution is (sometimes) to use hardcore programmer’s editing tools: Given my [...]
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Matthew Stibbe is Writer in chief at Articulate Marketing and editor of Golf Hotel Whiskey, the free online magazine for pilots.
Check out my new, free eBook, 30 Days to Better Business Writing, 116 pages of expert tips, advice and help to make you a better writer.
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