The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, the writer's friend!

As writers we often need to check that our memory is not playing us false and that so-and-so really did say such-and-such.

The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is the little brother to the better-known Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and is a MUST for the library of any serious writer.

The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is a small volume, but still found to be stuffed full of useful quotations from the great, the good, the witty, the clever and some ordinary folk who said at least one thing in their life that was memorable enough for someone to write down or record in some way and for other people to say: "Gosh, I wish I had said that!"

The book is 476 pages in length and, although small, is, at 476 pages, quite a well-padded little volume. It is relatively easy to hold, yet I can't help wonder if it could have been just a few centimetres larger? Still, that's a minor quibble and a point that does not, ultimately, detract from the over all enjoyment and usability of this small volume.

The forwards to the first and fourth editions are included and in them the editor Susan Ratcliffe goes some way to explain the purpose of the book.

There is then a list of subjects that the book covers lfrom A to Y. From Ability right through to Youth.

Next comes the quotations, followed by a highly useful index of those people who are quoted within the tightly packed work.

There are quotes you will probably be familiar with, quotes which, now you know them, you will remember for the rest of your life and quotes which will serve a purpose in a wedding speech, a magazine article, a college essay or the like.

And for those of us who like to trawl through books like The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, there are nuggets of pure gold and some that, although being nuggets of pure gold, are poignant and somewhat ironic.

For example in the section The Body artist, art lecturer and musician Ian Drury is quoted as saying:
"The leg, a source of much delight,
which carries weight and governs height,"

Drury had problems with his legs due to suffering polio as a child. He sometimes had to take to the stage wearing leg irons in order to support his limb when it was particularly bad. (A minor point is that Susan Ratcliffe lists Drury as a British rock singer. He was, of course, much more than that)

Also, we find that the Eton Boating Song lyrics were written by English poet William Cory.

There's a poem about entrails by poet Connie Bensley and you can find the source of the saying about 'death and taxes.'

The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is a fantastic little book and will make an ideal gift for the student, the author, journalists or anyone who uses words in their day to day life. Well, just about anyone, I suppose.

The published price is £9.99 ($15.95 USA) but will be available for much less on Amazon.

The ISBN is 978-0-19-954330-4. 

Doctor Johnson's Dictionary

Whilst Samuel Johnson's Dictionary wasn't the first attempt at creating a dictionary of the English language, it was the first serious attempt by someone who was a skilled lexicographer.

It was first published in 1755. The latest edition is not the full version, it is a special edited version produced by Jack Lynch, with selected highlights form the original work.

The original publication was 2,300 pages of definitions of words published in two volumes. So useful was it that it remained the definitive dictionary of English for at last 150 to 200 years. The Jack Lynch version is considerably smaller, one volume with only 646 pages.

The book starts with an introduction from Steven Leveen, the president of the Levnger Press, which explains why they decided to publish a new edition of the dictionary. There is also a fulsome three quarter page of acknowledgements from Jack Lynch, followed by 22 pages of introduction from Jack Lynch, including some basic guidelines of how to actually read the dictionary.

There is then a re-print of the original preface by Samuel Johnson, which goes much of the way to describe how and why he decided to take upon himself this Honorius responsibility to create THE English dictionary.

However, people must not form the conclusion that the dictionary only contains English words. There are numerous cross-references to Greek, Latin, French, Welsh, etc, throughout the dictionary, to help explain the derivation of the word.

The dictionary also has many words that are long gone from most people's everyday English. In fact some were heading a gentle decline even in the time of Dr Johnson himself.

As well as giving the definition of a word, Johnson also gave examples of it in use in literature, poetry, etc. A method still employed to this day in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Also we can see that some words have changed their usage over the year. For example, cadger meant a huckster, a person who brings butter, eggs, and from the market. We now have a totally meaning for that word.

To Cabbage was a slang (cant) word amongst taylors (sic) which meant to steal in cutting clothes.

I was intrigued to note that go-cart was included, though the description was somewhat different from the modern go-cart: "A machine in which children are inclosed (sic) to teach them to walk, and which they push forward without danger of falling."

There are other words that are no longer common, more's the pity! Belly-timber for food, and buffleheaded a man with a large head or someone who is dull and stupid.

Jack Lynch includes a bibliography and index, suggested reading material, etc.

In the UK it is published in hardback by Atlantic Press and costs £19.99.

(EDITOR: This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any writer)

Are you Wabbit?

Words are our stock in trade, the tools of our profession.

Totally Weird and Wonderful Words is a book compiled and edited by Erin McKean, with rather splendid illustrations by Roz Chast and Danny Shanahan.

The book is published in paperback by the OUP at $14.95. (That's about £8.00) Why the OUP chose to put only the Dollar price on the cover is anyone's guess. As is the decision by the OUP to employ American English spelling in their books, but please do not get me started on THAT one!

As you would expect, the book is a mixture of odd, bizarre and entertaining words.
Is it a draffsack of odd and old words?
Or a logomachy, perhaps?

Read this book and you will discover words that you probably never even had the vaguest idea even existed.
Learn that a loon-slatt was a Scottish coin, that a lolling-lobby was a derisive term for a monk, that a gallinipper is a large mosquito, that dromaeogathous means having the palate of an emu, that dretch means to trouble in sleep, or to be troubled in sleep.

If someone has a fear of the dark it could be said that they are suffering from nyctophobia.
The book is a lot of fun and should while away the time should you be feeling somewhat wabbit.
Draffsack = a bag of garbage
Logomachy = fighting about words
wabbit = A Scottish word meaning exhausted or slightly unwell. 

That's Books: Would You Like To See Your Name In A Best Selling ...

That's Books: Would You Like To See Your Name In A Best Selling ...: "Would you like to see your name in a best selling novel? Are you looking for an original gift? Then keep on reading!..... Children's Hospi..."

The Benefits of Digital Publishing – whitepaper published

The Digital Publisher, a division of HJ Marketing Ltd, has published a new whitepaper on ‘the benefits of digital publishing’ for magazine publishers.

Totalling a concise 15 pages, the digital publishing whitepaper has been written to avoid the tech-speak and terminology which often clouds the benefits that digital publishing delivers.

The whitepaper focuses on 7 key benefits of digital publishing:

• Ability to instantly reach a global audience
• Interactivity of digital magazines
• Cost-savings
• Environmental benefits
• Ease of navigation and search
• Flexibility & instant editing
• Full stats package identifying most popular content

By focusing on the key benefits, rather than simply the technical features, the whitepaper aims to highlight the significant advantages of digital publishing as a complementary channel for magazine publishers. The whitepaper also shows live examples of the technology in action for a number of pioneering publishers.

Ian Jackson, head of digital at The Digital Publisher, points out: “Not only do digital magazines offer tremendous cost savings and an exponential increase in a publisher’s reach, they also provide dynamic reader interaction and ease of use.” Jackson adds, “the statistical package additionally allows publishers to identify their most popular content which provides editors with invaluable insights as to what works and doesn’t work within their publication.”

Website: www.thedigitalpublisher.co.uk

(EDITOR: The publishers of Be That Writer and other online publications such as That's Books and That's Food and Drinks recognised the benefits of digital publishing several years ago.)

That's Books: Self-Published “Business Cook Book” to be Stocked ...

That's Books: Self-Published “Business Cook Book” to be Stocked ...: "Self-published book ‘Business Cookery: Tried and tested recipes for business success’ is to be stocked at Waterstones. Hot on the heels of..."

Idea generator

Some ideas for writers:

1. Is global warming really harming our weather? If so, what (if anything) can be done about it? Recently the UK government had to call out the army to help evacuate the victims of the worst floods in 350 years.
2. Are our roads really is safe as they could be? What can be done?
3. In Britain every October and November hundreds of people are injured by backyard firework displays. Some people are killed. Should a civilised country allow this?
4. In many countries elections do not attract many voters. Why? What can be done to alleviate this problem?
5. Unsung heroes. There are many unsung heroes in your area. Should their songs be sung? What can be done to ensure that what they do does not go unmarked or unreported on?
6. Some people say religion causes all the problems in the world. Others say it is Satan. Others say human nature.
7. Anglers use all sorts of bait. Some soak their bat in whiskey, for example.
8. Why do some people like to be involved in amateur theatricals.
9. Another child in America is injured with a handgun. What can parents do to protect THEIR children?
10. Local councils often complain that only a minority of people bother to go out to vote. What are the councils doing to change this situation? Apart from complaining, that is?
11. Why are some of our communities so run down?
12. Is recycling really taken seriously by the public or by the government?
13. How can scientists make science more interesting to ordinary people?
14. A nutritionist recently described vegetarianism as “unnatural and unhealthy? Can he be right? If so, why? If you think he is wrong, why do you think he is wrong?
15. Should we be on the dawn of the year 2001 and still be using landfill sites? What alternatives are there?
16. The recent fuel protests started in France, spread to Britain and the rest of Europe, Israel and Australia. What can be done to protect the interests of road users and of the environment at the same time?
17. Should arts and crafts be promoted to help bring some beauty into people’s lives?
18. Is body piercing becoming passé?
19. Should reading be promoted by the government and industry?
20. Should GM crops be banned? Not until proven safe, but for good?
21. Motor bikers are often prejudiced against. Why is this?
22. Irn Bru is a quirky Scottish soda drink with a real taste of iron in it. Recently the company that makes it, Barrs, have launched it in the USA and Russia. In its home territory, Scotland, Irn Bru outsells Pepsi and Coca Cola, one of the few nations where Pepsi and Coca Cola are not the highest selling soda drink. Look for quirky stories like this. Is there something unique that YOU know about?
23. It has been reported that several International car manufacturers have failed to report faults in their vehicles. Some of them potentially life-threatening. Is this so? What can be done to counter this trend? Why is it happening?
24. With E-commerce becoming more and more important to the global economy, why are the nations of the world insisting on sticking to 19^th century tax rules? Isn’t it time some form of International E-commerce tax regimen was created?
25. Hit and run accidents are nothing new. In 1900 a cyclist fell from his bike and was trampled and run over by a horse and cart. The driver of the cart drove off without even stopping, even though the wheels had gone over the neck of the cyclist. Are there any other “new” phenomena that is really very old?
26. Death from drugs? What can be done? Who should be doing it?
27. Global poverty. Who is to blame? Who can fix it? If it can be fixed?
28. Are there any uplifting movies these days? Come to think of it – were there EVER any uplifting movies?
29. The Reliant car company recently announced the end of the road for the three-wheeled cars that the company has made for 65 years. They were known as “plastic pigs” as they were the first fibreglass bodied cars in production. Have you ever seen one?
30. Are there any great men and women left? Or are they as great as they ever were, but ruthlessly chopped down by elements of a baying wolf pack from the media?
31. Mrs Margaret Thatcher, whilst she was Prime Minister of Great Britain, said: “There is no such thing as community.” Is she right? Or was it a wicked thing to say that set community back by 100 years?
32. The Olympics. Should they be scrapped?
33. People need to eat. So why are farmers the world over seemingly given such a raw deal?
34. Should youngsters who live in deprived communities be encouraged to take up music and the arts? How many talents are being wasted?
35. There are some people who are pathologically anti-social. (I.E., live in apartment blocks and play very loud music to the distress of neighbours, etc.) Isn’t it time that society started doing something to stop them from damaging their neighbours?
36. 30 years ago, some people say, the criminal was punished. Now the victim is punished, instead. Is there ANY truth in this? If so, how can the balance be redressed?
37. Is there anything that YOU care about? If so, what is it?
38. Do some parents spend all their time reading books on how to be good parents? At the risk of not really doing much in the way of practical parenting?
39. Do some left wing writers believe that the police can do no right?
40. Why?
41. Do you like gardening? Or hate it? Either way, are you any good at it?
42. Some people get all the luck. Do they? And is it good or bad luck?
43. Should our courts be harsher on people convicted of minor offences? 25 to 30 years ago, if a man urinated in public he would be given a jail sentence of several months in length. Now he might not even be cautioned, yet along arrested. Has this approach to “minor” offences helped make Britain a better or a worse place in which to live?
44. Is there a place for humour in the workplace?
45. Do parents spend enough time playing with their children?
46. Many of the lefties of the early 1970s have become pillars of the establishment by the 1990s. Does this always happen? Can you think of any examples of this type of behaviour?
47. Chinese Traditional Medicine should it be available on the National Health Service?
48. Within the next ten years, will there be a large group of people who have had their hearing damaged by the very high-power sound systems that they are using in their cars? If so, should they be allowed to receive treatment?
49. Should there be a legal limit on the power output of in car sound systems?
50. What can be done to make our communities better places for all to live in?
51. In some of our major cities, noisy nightclub and live music venues are literally next door to developments of houses and apartments. Should there be strict “zoning” laws to ensure that this does not happen?
52. Where are you now, in your life? Are you where you think you should be? Can you do anything to get to where you believe you should be?
53. Why does the traditional British Pantomime feature such blatant examples of cross-dressing?
54. Does every language have its own clichés?
55. An actor fell into working in the scrap industry be accident. -It had been his “in-between roles job. What other strange or dangerous jobs have actors had to take to keep an income coming in, whilst “resting”?
56. Should we be willing to try your hand at anything?
57. Should we know your limitations and work within them?
58. Have you had any unusual or strange accident whilst doing your domestic chores?
59. What can you remember from your past?
60. Free. Can anything ever be truly “free”?
61. Who are you?
62. Is there something that you would like to change about yourself? If so, what is it? How would you change it?
63. Is there something that you would like to change about someone else? Why?
64. Should we try to change other people?
65. Do you know anyone with an allergy to an unusual substance? Some allergies –such as to water- can have disastrous consequences for the sufferer.
66. How well do we really know our friends and family?
67. How well do we really know ourselves?
68. Do we complain too much?
69. Do we resist complaining too much?
70. God is love. So why is their so much hate in the world?
71. A group of squatters were thrown out of a mansion that had remained empty for 15 years and is owned by a property company. Should they have been thrown out? Should a property company be allowed to own houses and keep them empty whilst there are people who are homeless or in sub-standard housing?
72. Are older people given the respect they should be by society in general and the authorities?
73. Why do tobacco firms sponsor sporting events?
74. Should smoking be banned? Or could that bring about a prohibition style era of cigarettes being supplied by “tobacco barons”?
75. Should church and state be separate, as the US Constitution says? Or doesn’t it really matter?
76. If at first you don’t succeed – give up. Yes, or no?
77. Is gossip really dangerous? Years ago, gossip could be considered a criminal offence. Should it be a criminal offence again?
78. The Beatles, contrary to the belief of some commentators, are not given the respect that they deserve. Os this true? If so, what should be done about it to redress this?
79. Many local councils seem to think they are above the law. How can this problem be addressed?
80. Should stun guns be used by the police forces in Britain?
81. “Never attribute to malice anything that can be adequately explained by stupidity.” Is this true?
82. People who drive badly should be re-tested. And banned if they fail.
83. Who can you trust?
84. After decades of closure programmes, there should be a major resurgence in youth club provision all over the country.
85. There should be a Young Volunteer Programme operated all over the UK. Well, should there? Would an element of coercion be unwise?
86. People who live in glass houses should throw stones
87. Why bother doing anything? What causes apathy? Can the causes be addressed? Can it be a form of illness?
88. Wake up England! Is it asleep?
89. The low esteem that many people hold journalists in. Is it deserved?
90. “You should always let your own house hold you.” Is this true? If not, why not?
91. “If music be the food of love…” what type of music or particular tune/artiste would give you indigestion?
92. Is satire dead?
93. A proper concern for our health –or health fascists?
94. Has enough attention been paid to the history of the ordinary man and woman in Britain?
95. Should rural businesses (pubs, garages, shops, etc.) receive special tax breaks?
96. British farmers should be encouraged –with grants if required- to develop and introduce “environmentally-friendly” agriculture.
97. Access to the Internet should be 100% free. 100% of the time. For everyone who wants it. Would that be possible? Should it be possible?
98. There should be less traditional sports in schools and more keep-fit.
99. Should organ donation be encouraged for ever, or until new types of medical procedures are developed that would do away with the need for transplants whenever possible.
100. What is the real history of the area in which you live?
101. Have you ever met a hero and been bitterly disappointed by them?
102. Have you ever met a hero and been impressed by them ?
103. What is your favourite shop?
104. What is your favourite shop?
105. Why do people steal pets?
106. We are now in the 21^st century. Shouldn’t we be beyond using animals in scientific research by now? Or is it still necessary?
107. What are the top scientific discoveries of the last 100 years?
108. Why are cases of food poisoning increasing? What can be done to address this problem?
109. Have you ever made a serious mistake? If so, what were the consequences?
110. Some people say that lies are never justifiable, no matter what the consequences. Is this true? Are there any circumstances were a lie could be justified?
111. “Never attribute to malice anything that can be adequately explained by stupidity.” This would, of course, explain the actions of many councillors and local and national government officials. Why, then, do councils and national government seem to employ so many stupid people?
112. Some young men such as Casius Clay (Later Mohamed Alli) decided they did not believe in the Vietnam War and stayed in the USA and faced the possibility of jail for their firmly held beliefs. Others moved to Canada, Australia, Britain, etc., to dodge the draft into the US Armed forces. Which of these groups were more dedicated to the anti-Vietnam War movement?
113. Why are carers treated so shabbily in Britain?
114. Should drug and alcohol testing be introduced for employees? If so, should the board of directors be the first to be tested, to set an example?
115. Why do humans like a mystery, either fictional or real?
116. Where were you ten years ago? Where are you today? Are you where you expected to be? IF not, why is this?
117. Sometimes people say: “You haven’t got a clue.” What do they mean? Shouldn’t they give you a clue?
118. What was your favourite TV Show of yesteryear?
119. It has been said that radio is preferable to TV, “because the pictures are better.” Use this as the basis for an analysis of the difference between TV And radio.
120. By coincidence, some tittle-tattle about a very popular star falls into your lap. It is something from their past, which is not, in the scheme of things, very important. Though the tabloids would make a meal of it. What should you do with this information?
121. Do you have alternative uses for junk mail?
122. “The British Honours system is probably about the best way to mark the lives of people form all walks of society.” Write an essay or article in support of this premise.
123. The parents of vandals should be held responsible for 100% of the damage their children cause. With jail the ultimate sanction for both parent and child if they fail to fulfil this obligation.
124. Arranged marriages are not necessarily a bad idea. Discuss.
125. Is stupidity hereditary?
126. Is it your business?
127. All councillors have their nose in the trough. Really?
128. If a council has enough money to buy “top of the range” lap top computers for every member of the council, can afford expensive jaunts to exotic locations for councillors and their senior staff members, and can afford meals at every council meeting – why can’t they afford to pay for proper care for the elderly? Or does this question contain it’s own answer?
129. Is it important to know the history of your family?
130. Should sleeping dogs be woken, ever? If not, why not?
131. Is atheism a religious belief?
132. The Internet. 100 million voice, all babbling nonsense? Yes, or no?
133. Why give an idiot a piece of your mind?
134. If illegal drugs were legalised, what would criminal gangs turn to next?
135. An American once said: “We have 90 channels, but there is nothing ever worth watching.” Is that happening in the UK with satellite, cable and digital TV?
136. Have there been too many “survival” type programmes?
137. So-called reality TV shows are lazy and cheap programming. True, or false?
138. We all know talented people. Why don’t they seem to get the break they deserve?
139. Why can’t some people ever tell the truth?
140. Where would you like to live, if not where you currently live?
141. Are there any real deserving cases?
142. “There is no need for anyone to have to beg.” Really? Doesn’t this rather depend on every social security officer and social worker doing their job properly 100% of the time? And doesn’t this negate the basic right of freedom of choice? What if someone would prefer to beg on the streets rather than “sponge” off the state?
143. Should there be legal restrictions on the names that parents can give their children? (Previous examples of odd names include “Murder” and “Lettuce”)
144. Helpful people often cause more problems than they solve. True, or false?
145. There is virtually no news in many newspapers. Should there be a code of practice to ensure that there is more news in the papers? Or is there enough news, anyway?
146. Local papers should get tax breaks in order to ensure that there is a good supply of local news for people.
147. Do you have any hidden talents?
148. Should there be more opportunities for people to do voluntary work? Should there be increased publicity given for already existing opportunities for voluntary work? Should there be a government minister for the voluntary sector and voluntary workers?
149. How safe is your home?
150. Is your workplace a safe workplace?
151. Is your town, village or suburb a safe environment? If not, why?
152. Should there be harsher penalties for those who abuse or harm animals?
153. Should profiteering by –for example- oil companies be a crime?
154. Has media coverage of so-called road rage incidents been a cause of some of these incidents?
155. Do you have some letters in your family that would be better off in the local history archives?
156. Apparently we spend, on average, the equivalent of two full days every year waiting for deliveries that do not arrive and repair technicians that never turn up. Should there be some kind of easy legal redress?
157. Should there be male cheerleaders?
158. Is there too much bureaucracy in the NHS? Often if a medically qualified person wishes to obtain a better position within the NHS, they need to leave their medical career behind and go into management. Can this problem be addressed? IF so, how?
159. It often seems that firms sack people just before a period of holidays. Either summer or Christmas. Is this so? IF it is, why?
160. Why doesn’t society have more respect for the elderly? Does this disrespect stem from the government and local authorities?
161. Look out for unusual or oddball stories in the local press. For example a Midland family returned home form holiday, only to be told that their piano had been destroyed in a fire.
162. Vandals delay hundreds of trains every week. Should the size and budget of the British Transport Police be doubled to help deal with this problem?
163. Do you work too hard? Do you know someone who works too hard?
164. Someone put on a musical about Stalin. Is this in bad taste? If not, what other figures from history would be unlikely candidates to have a musical based on their life?
165. Is their too much emphasis on sport, but especially football, in our newspapers and on local radio stations?
166. When DID our local environment become so nasty and squalid? What should be done about it?
167. In Australia, the very popular Cracker Night (the equivalent to Bonfire Night) was abolished and the only fireworks now available in Australia are those at licensed displays. With the damage caused to property and the injures and deaths to pets and people, isn’t it time that Britain followed suit? Or do you think that the risks are outweighed by the benefits?
168. Some people say that charity begins at home. Or do they mean: “charity never leaves my pocket?”
169. Religion is a private thing. Preaching door-to-door should be made illegal an is unfair on churches that don’t preach door-to-door.
170. Staid churches who do not preach door-to-door have only themselves to blame for falling numbers. They need to get out and preach themselves, instead of criticising others who do preach door-to-door!
171. Pensioners should be encouraged NOT to keep money at home, to decrease their potential as the victims of muggings. Should there be special tax benefits available to encourage pensioners to keep their money in bank accounts?
172. There is no need for public toilets to be filthy, dirty as many of them are.
173. When did our councils give up caring for the environment?
174. The refurbishment of the British canal network should be accelerated and expanded.
175. Toys. What were your favourite childhood toys?
176. What do you think about the fact that some of the toys you played with as a child are now collectables?
177. Should the laws regarding how employees are treated in Britain be toughened up and improved in the favour of the employee?
178. What was or is your favourite band or musical act of all times?
179. Have you thought about going to a junk shop and looking through the postcards for potential stories contained in the messages on the cards?
180. Modern architects betray the environment in which their designs exist. But then, as they probably never use the buildings they design, or do not live in the homes they create, why should they care?
181. “No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.” This is an old and cynical saying. But does it contain a grain of truth?
182. Are children kept in cotton wool?
183. If parents cannot or will not look after their children properly, should they be sterilised? If not, why not? And what would the alternatives be?
184. Councils are treating hospitals as dumping grounds for the elderly infirm. How should this problem be addressed?
185. Why is it that the more rules and regulations a company or an organisation has to ensure that they function properly, the less likely they are to follow them? Are these rules and regulations counterproductive?
186. Should there be less MPs? Or more?
187. “Councils are merely opportunities for councillors to have junkets. Councils cause more problems than they solve. They should be replaced by administration from Whitehall”. True or false? If not, how can they be improved?
188. Democracy is a good idea. When do you think we will get some?
189. Why do some people in authority seem to have made incompetence their religion?
190. Constant re-skilling of our workforce means that there are many people who have a large number of redundant skills. Should this problem be addressed? If so, how?

How to write drama reviews

Writing drama reviews need not be as hard as one might imagine. At it's most basic all you need is a note book, several pens and either a seat near a theatre safety light or a small pocket torch, perhaps suitably shielded so as not to cause interference with the enjoyment of theatregoers.

And you need is a love of drama and an understanding of it. The understanding of drama can be learned.

One of the cardinal rules of reviewing a play is to never give away the ending of a play or too much of the plot. -It's amazing how many supposedly experienced journalists can get this basic point wrong.

When writing a review, resist the urge to be clever. People read drama reviews to see what's on at the theatre, not to see how witty the reviewer thinks they can be. -Sadly, someone who thinks they are a wit is usually only half-right!

Puns, witticisms and jokes based on the name of the play, character or cast members are the hallmark of a very poor reviewer. No matter who they are, or how much they are paid.

When going to the theatre to review a play ensure you arrive as early as possible. Ensure you get an up-to-date cast list. Familiarise yourself with the programme and programme notes before you start to review the play.

Leave any preconceptions at home. If you have seen the play before, or seen the cast members in a different play or the same play (this could happen if you review plays in drama festivals) remember that you have never seen this performance before! It's fresh and new and so must you be!

Never make the mistake of thinking you can get away with writing a review without having seen the play, by just looking at the cast list and guessing how it went.

The careers of many journalists -even some experienced ones- have foundered on this particular rock. Casts can be changed at a few minutes notice, plays cancelled, etc.

When you are writing your review (or "crit" which is short for criticism, as some people call them) never go over the top with criticism.

If you think someone didn't learn their lines, draw attention to the fact. -After all, that's one of the reasons you are reviewing the play!

But be careful not to use insulting terms. If you accuse an actor of not bothering to learn his or her lines and it turns out that they had stepped in with only two days notice -who would look stupid? Them or you?

There are ways around this. You will -with experience- learn how to say exactly what you mean, but in ways that wont offend. And in ways that cast and backstage crew will find genuinely helpful.

One newspaper I worked for had a policy of not writing "bad" reviews of amateur productions, because they didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings! -I kid you not!

Having been involved in amateur dramatics as an actor and technician I can assure you that the opposite is more often the truth. As long as the reviewer proves that he or she knows what they are talking about and isn't just trying to be clever at their expense, they will usually accept a review with some negative comments in it.

After all, they don't want to put on bad performances.

A review needs to be short and to the point. -This is another reason why it doesn't pay to be too witty.

How can you get hands-on experience? Talk with local drama groups. Ask them to supply you with complimentary tickets so that you can review their plays.

Read the drama reviews in the local and national press. Are they good? Could you have done better?

Play sub-editor. Try re-writing them to tighten them up.

Then submit reviews of local drama to your local press.

If your local paper doesn't have drama reviews -gently suggest that perhaps it's time they started?

A forgotten hero of journalism and writing: GK Chesteron - A forgotten hero

G K Chesterton was once one of the most famous writers in Britain, if not the world. He made several highly popular tours of the United States of America.

He was a journalist who wrote hundreds of articles -many of them never published in anthology form, so copious was his output. But all of them seemed to be of a high standard. He also wrote a number of books, the best remembered being the fantasy novel, "The Man Who Was Thursday".

But he has long faded into an undeserved obscurity. He wrote on a wide variety of topics. From what to do on a wet day to the advent of fads and cults and from new religions to the dangers of civil servants and "experts" from charities who seem more interested in following their own rules than looking after the people whose interests they were supposed to look after. No change there, then?

The following quotes from his writings show that Chesterton still has much to say to the modern world.

"There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect" The Defendant, 1901

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity." The Defendant, 1901

"Happiness is a mystery like religion, and should never be rationalised." Heretics, 1905

"If a man wishes to know the origin of human society, to know what society, philosophically speaking, really is, let him not go into the British Museum; let him go into society." Heretics 1905

"The artistic temperament is a disease that afflicts amateurs." Heretics, 1905

"The word 'orthodoxy' not only no longer means being right; it practically means being wrong." Heretics, 1905

"Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction; for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it." The Club of Queer Trades, 1905

"We talk of wild animals; but man is the only wild animal. It is man that has broken out. All other animals are tame animals; following the rugged respectability of the tribe or type." Orthodoxy, 1909

"The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums." Orthodoxy 1909

"What is bad in the candid friend is simply that he is not candid. He is keeping something back - his own gloomy pleasure in saying unpleasant things." Orthodoxy, 1909

"Virtue is not the absence of vice or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate thing, like pain or a particular smell." Tremendous Trifles, 1909

"To be clever enough to get all that money, one must be stupid enough to want it." The Innocence of Father Brown 1911

That's Books: Britons Take to Books on National Reading Group Da...

That's Books: Britons Take to Books on National Reading Group Da...: "Reading groups celebrate first annual event today, Saturday 25th June. Avid readers around the country will be flocking to their local ind..."

Overheard in a bookshop “Did Beatrix Potter ever write any books about dinosaurs?”

Every bookseller has stories about some of the weird and wonderful comments they have overheard in their bookshop whilst on the shop floor, not to mention a whole host of quirky customer queries. To celebrate Independent Booksellers Week, independent booksellers from across the UK have been invited to share some of their favourites...

SIMPLY BOOKS, Bramhill, Greater Manchester

Elderly chap came in on Saturday and asked whether we had one of Delia Smith’s books called Cooking for Sluts… didn’t bat an eyelid when I said the book I thought he was looking for was called How to Cheat at Cooking.

GROVE BOOKSHOP, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Customer: I’m looking for a book, all I know is that it’s by a Scottish archaeologist who is on television

Bookshop Owner: Might it be this one, The History of Scotland, by Neil Oliver?

Customer: Oh, no, this was a much taller gentleman.

FOREST BOOKSHOP, Coleford, Gloucestershire

Customer: Do you have the latest book by Jackie Collins?

Ian (bookseller): Well there’s Lethal Seduction, her latest in paperback.

Customer: I’ve read that.

Ian: Or, ‘Goddess of Vengeance’ which is in hardback only.

Customer: No, I won’t bother with that one, the hardbacks are all dearer, for some reason…

THE MAINSTREET TRADING COMPANY, St Boswells

Customer: I’d like a Where’s Wally book please.

Bookshop owner: Our system says we have one in stock, but I, ah, can’t find it!

FALMOUTH BOOKSELLER, Falmouth, Cornwall

Customer: Have you got Lionel Ritchie’s Wardrobe?

(Same customer): Also, do you have the AA book of Milne?

RIPPING YARNS, London

Customer (to their friend): God, the Famous Five titles really were crap, weren’t they? Five Go Camping…Five Go Off in a Caravan…If it were Five Go Down to a Crack House it might be more exciting.

****
Customer: Do you have a copy of Jane Eyre?

Bookseller: Actually, I just sold that this morning, sorry!

Customer : Oh. Have you read it?

Bookseller: Yep, it’s one of my favourite books.

Customer: Oh great (sits down), could you tell me all about it? I have an essay to write on it by tomorrow.

****
Customer: Do you have any books on star signs?

Bookseller: Yes, our esoteric section is over here.

Customer: Good. It’s just I really need to check mine – I have an overwhelming feeling that something
bad is going to happen.

****
Customer: Do you have a book that lists aphrodisiacs? I’ve got a date on Friday

DEVIZES BOOKS, Devizes, Wiltshire

Bookseller: Do you need a bag for your books?

Customer: No, it’s OK, I have a cardigan.

BUY THE BOOK, Oakham, Leicestershire

Bookseller: Good afternoon, Buy The Book in Oakham, how may I help?

Gentleman: Can I book a double room please.

Bookseller: (after brief, confused pause): I’m sorry sir, I think you have the wrong number – we are a
bookshop.

Gentleman: (undeterred): OK, can I have a twin then?

www.independentbooksellersweek.org.uk

INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS WEEK, 18th- 25th JUNE 2011
Independent Booksellers Week (IBW), now in its fifth year, is a celebration of independent bookshops nationwide, and the important part that ‘indies’ play in their communities and the excellent, personal service they provide for customers.

Hundreds of events and promotions will be taking place at independent bookshops around the country. Local bookshops who take part in IBW are supported by the BA with the preparation of toolkit packs, including information on how to engage with the local community and media, and point-of-sale materials.

Brand new for 2011 is National Reading Group Day, which takes place on Saturday 25th June, a new initiative spearheaded by BA President, Jane Streeter, which will allow booksellers to focus on the Reading Group phenomenon, organise their own Reading Group Day, or partner with other organisations, such as local libraries, to create a lively reading group initiative.

THE BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION
The Booksellers Association (BA) of the United Kingdom and Ireland Limited [“BA”], representing over 95% of the specialist booksellers in the UK and Ireland, is committed to providing the widest possible range of services to its membership, the value of which far outweigh the cost of being a member.The BA is an inclusive association, representing bookshop chains, general and specialist independents, institutional suppliers, wholesalers, and supermarkets who sell books. 

The Association is very active in representing booksellers’ interests to publishers, the UK Government and the European Commission. But the BA particularly focuses on providing services to help its members increase sales and reduce costs, e.g. Electronic Gift Cards, which help facilitate the gifting of books in a modern, easy and attractive way (only BA members can sell and exchange Book Tokens). 

The BA also organises the annual Book Industry Conference, the conference for academic booksellers and publishers, and is a sponsor of The London Book Fair.

Ten Ways to identify Idiots! Or How DO writers deal with idiots?

Here is the Be That Writer guide to dealing with idiots:

As a writer, you will find that you have to deal with a lot of idiots. However, it would be wrong to TELL them that they are idiots. Especially if they happen to be standing between you and an income as a published author or writer!

These are some pointers to a happier life! This is slightly tongue-in-cheek. But only slightly!

1) Never use a 100 word explanation to an idiot, when a two word answer will suffice. Remember. Your time is your money.

2) Never give free house room in your mind to idiots. They will not be thinking of you, so return the compliment!

3) Use the idiots you meet to your advantage. Various idiots have featured in articles that I have written. Here are some examples. A newspaper (published by a very large company) kept failing to pay me on time. It got to the point where I was SURE that they owed me a great deal of money, but could not prove it. I wrote a letter to the editor's personal secretary asking when I could expect to be paid. I cherished her reply. I want to share one part of it with you. Please savour, with me, the rich strangeness of the following bizarre sentence: "As to the non-payment of monies, this has been ongoing, whereby we have tried all ways." (Yes, I guess that her unique way of using the English language must be why she is the personal secretary to the editor. Or was it her long legs and ultra short miniskirts? We will never know for sure, but I have my suspicions!) I used this is an article on life as a freelance journalist.

4) Never, ever enter into a debate with an idiot. Believe me, life is not long enough. And as I have said, your time is your money.

5) You can't always recognise an idiot at a distance. Some of the worst idiots are people who look "normal."
6) Some idiots have difficulty in identifying cause and effect.

7) Idiots are often in positions of authority.

8) Idiots tend to judge other people by their own low standards.

9) Idiots cannot recognise that sometimes bad things just happen. They must always have someone to blame. But never themselves!

10) Idiots are usually unable to recognise that other people ARE people, and not merely randomly placed items of furniture in their personal universe and for their personal use.

I'll finish now with a quote from Scott Adams' The Joy of Work. Scott Adams' management books are a must! "Trying to win an argument with an irrational person is like trying to teach a cat to snorkel by providing written instructions. No matter how clear your instructions. It won't work."

Where to sell your writing

The best writer in the world, if he or she has not established a suitable and lucrative market for their work, still will not become published.

One of the greatest freelance writers in the English speaking world, Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote: “Anyone who writes for anything but money is a blockhead.” Harsh? Perhaps. But remember that Johnson was only able to pay for his mother’s funeral by reportedly writing the novel Rasselas in a period of seven days.

By the way, sending in articles on spec is not necessarily a good idea. By all means think about sending something as a sample of the quality of work you can provide, but most publications would want you to write to them with the proposal for an article, rather than a completed article.

Yes indeed, you CAN make money by writing for the specialist trade press.

What is the specialist trade press? It is an exceptionally large and nebulous mass. It consists of hundreds of thousands of titles, some small, some large, published all over the world and covering thousands and thousands of fields of specialist knowledge.
What subjects are covered? Take the following examples:-
The garage industry, roadside recovery industry, coach tours and coach holidays industry, the bus and coach manufacturing industry, the vehicle salvage industry. And those just happen to be five magazines published by the company I write for!

Much of the work done on specialist magazines is done by freelance writers who have specialised knowledge on a particular subject. My employer uses freelance writers who have shown that they have these special attributes:-

1. They understand the brief they are set.
   2) They can write well and write at speed when necessary. It’s no good “choking” and getting all precious about refusing to work at speed. An article that is perfect in every way yet arrives one hour after the magazine has gone to press is useless. However, an article that is reasonably good and arrives one hour before the deadline is perfect. Why? Because it is there!
   3) Have good contacts in their industry
   4) Understand deadlines and stick with them.
   5) They never question a brief by saying: “Oh, but I wrote an article about this very subject one year ago!” Good. Now's your opportunity to write another article on the same subject! Was the reply I gave to someone who raised this point.
   

In order to be able to write for the specialist press, you have to understand the field that you will be writing about. There are general writers who can turn their hand to writing about almost any subject under the sun. There’s nothing wrong with that. Writers who can turn their hand to researching topics that they might not have heard of before and turning in readable, accurate copy are worth their weight in gold. But there are instances where this type of writer will not be able to get a commission, being overlooked in favour of the writer who has a specialism and a good knowledge of a particular industry or a particular field of endeavour.

For example, let’s suppose that a company that makes a particular type of equipment for the MOT industry has introduced a new type of engine analyser which can do the job in half the time. In order to write a proper article about this new piece of kit, a writer would have to understand a great deal about the garage and MOT industry. He or she might even have worked as a skilled MOT tester themselves before deciding to take up a career as a writer. And there are such writers out there with the specialised knowledge and the ability to write clear, concise copy every time it is required.

What specialist knowledge could you call upon to draw upon to write for the specialist trade press? Gardening? Architecture? Stamp collecting? A particular sport? Coin collecting? Knitting? Fashion? Amateur or professional photography? Sky Diving? Chicken breeding? Horse care? Motoring? Fish keeping? Dog breeding? Industrial metallurgy? Building? Counselling? The employment industry? Taxation?

These are, of course, only a tiny portion of the many types of specialism that us ordinary folk might have.
What could you earn? This depends. Some fields of expertise are so rarefied and esoteric that the magazines that cater for them are read by so few people that the magazines can really only afford to offer modest payments, including or only a complimentary copy of the magazine. Often these magazines, although very well produced to fairly high professional standards, are almost labours of love, with the editorial staff receiving little or no remuneration.

However, some magazines are mass market publications and can afford to pay vastly more to freelance specialist writers than can their poorer cousins.

How much? How long is a piece of string? £100 for 1000 words is a good basis on which to start. However, the fee that you can command will depend upon your abilities to work within the four guidelines I have outlined within this article. And something else.

Let’s suppose that a leading figure in the industry you are writing on is an elusive person who rarely gives interviews and is known for being notoriously difficult to interview. Let’s suppose that you have known him for years and that you both get on very well. If you can approach an editor and say: “I can gain you an exclusive interview with X,” don’t you think that you would be paid substantially more than £100 for 1,000 words? Or that after the successful publication of the article, that the grateful editor would funnel more equally lucrative work your way?

Recently, a new magazine was launched. After the first issue a writer with good specialised knowledge of the field called the managing editor and said: “I want to write for your magazine.” He sent in his CV, was commissioned to write one article as a test piece and his articles are regular and very popular features in the magazine.

Writing. How to find your market

OK, you know might know what you want to write about (I have already touched on using your own specialism to write articles about). But where might you aim your articles?

Firstly, go and take a look at the magazine selection in your nearest large newsagents such as W. H. Smiths.

Have a look at the magazines that re on sale. Computing, sailing, transport industry, cars, buses, writing, puzzles, communications, management, knitting, crafts, etc., etc. This will give you a good broad knowledge of what types of magazines are available for you to explore for potential targets for your articles.

Also, check your nearest main or reference library. It should have (budgetary restraints willing, of course!) a large collection of various magazines over a wide range of subject matter that it subscribes to. And don't forget to look on line, too. This research will serve a variety of functions. It will provide contact details and will also show you the kind of work that the magazine is currently publishing. You will be able to pick up valuable hints on house style, currently editorial requirements, etc.

Some magazines in the United Kingdom are now following the American trend and publish guidelines (send an SAE) which will let you know exactly the kind of articles they are interested in.

However, to properly establish the widest possible range of potential targets for your writing endeavours, you really do need the Writers’ Handbook, published by Macmillan. This book is a “must have” for the serious writer. It offers articles which offer guidance and hints on writing craft, how to work out what you can claim back against income tax (you’ll be surprised. I know I was!) and so forth.

It also contains a list of newspapers and magazines that are published within the United Kingdom. This is useful as the list not only gives full contact details for the magazine, including editorial contacts, but in some instances it also indicates what likely fees could be payable to the freelance writer or journalist.

There is also another similar publication called The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Although the older of the two publications, I fear that, although still useful, the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is perhaps now not the better of the two.

The price for the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is approximately £10.00 and the price fro the Writer’s Handbook (edited by Barry Turner) is also about £10.00. Both books are available from Amazon UK.
You might not want to write for a magazine. Perhaps you have ambitions that are aimed at the regional press? In that case, it would be worthwhile looking at the website www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk This website contains listings of all the regional daily and weekly newspapers within the entire United Kingdom.

And do not forget www.google.com the resource of resources!

It also contains many useful sections including a database of useful contacts, lists of websites of potential use to journalists and writers for the regional press and many, many other extremely useful features. Including a section that offers the stuck staff reporter a whole host of new ideas for stories to present to the editor as your own! Yeah. Maybe it is cheating. And it certainly does help during a Monday morning editorial conference! It can also kick off some useful ideas for the freelance writer too, so do not be tempted to overlook this.

The website also contains lists of job opportunities throughout the regional press from court reporters to science correspondents and from junior reporters to editors.

There is also another website www.thepaperboy.com which lists newspapers all over the world, including in the UIK. This is useful if you are trying to establish which paper covers which town (for example you might have found out about a story that has happened in your town which involves someone from –say- Birmingham. It is useful to be able to know which papers cover Birmingham (Birmingham Post, a quality daily and the Birmingham Evening Mail) who might, conceivably, want to buy the story from you.

There are other ways of finding out about magazines that might be suitable targets for your writing. The Periodical Publishers Association has many magazines and magazine publishers as members. Visit the website at www.ppa.co.uk It contains a great deal of useful information, hints and tips and a host of useful links to other websites.

Also, go to www.yell.com and search on magazines, publishers, newspapers, etc. Do not use a location, allow it to default to a United Kingdom search, and see the variety of potential clients that come up. Some of then have websites listed. Visit them, see if they might require freelance writers. Or staff writers, as I have to admit that after several years of trying to sort out taxation for myself, that I decided to go to the dark side of the writing force and become a paid staffer. Much easier. I can still pretty much do my own thing, but get someone else to worry about PAYE and the like. There’s even a stationary cupboard from which I can obtain pens and reporters notebooks for work related activities!

There are also magazines for writers. The two best known examples are Writer’s Forum and Writer’s News, both available by subscription or over the counter at W. H. Smiths and a host of other leading newsagents.

There are some other things that you will need. The three Ps will help, tremendously. Persistence. Patience. Perception. Oh. And research. The same skills that help you research the subjects that you want to write about will also help you to find potential markets for your work.

There will be more from Be That Writer, soon.

How to start writing and how to get it published

In this article I will tell you how to start in your life as a writer.

First take a piece of paper lined or blank, it doesn't matter which, a pen or a pencil and write 50 words. You could write 50 words on why you want to be a writer. But that's entirely up to you. You can write about anything. I'll wait here until you are done with that assignment.

OK, so with your 50 words done, type them into the word processor package of your choice and then save the document as a text file.

Now go to www.blogger.com and sign up for a blogging account, unless you already have one, then all you need do is start up a new blog with your existing account. Do you have to use Blogger.com? No, but it's what I use and it is what I am familiar with and comfortable with. I have tried several other blogging platforms but did not get on with them in quite the same way as I do with blogger.com.

Copy and paste your text file into your blog and there you have it! Not only have you written your first article, you have also published it, too! Cool!

And just because you self-published it does not mean that it is any the less of an article for that. Charles Dickens self-published, as have many literary greats. So you are in good company.

Now you have started, how do you continue? Write. Write about anything and everything you feel you want to write about. Tighten up your grammar, work on your spelling (if you need to) and practice. Because with writing, practice is everything!

Welcome to Be That Writer

Welcome to Be That Writer.

Be That Writer is a free online course for people who want to be writers.

You could well have read books on writing, visited other online resources on how to be a writer, you may even have paid for courses on how to be a writer.

Be That Writer is different. Be That Writer will help you to become that writer who you have always wanted to be.

Be That Writer will tell you something that most other writing resources will probably not have told you. Much of what you will have read on becoming a writer is nonsense! Oh, yes, it will have been well-meaning, but nonsense all the same!

You will have been told: "Write about what you know." Really? Did you know that one of the most prolific and widely read writers of "Western fiction" (otherwise known as cowboy fiction) writes all his books from his home in Newcastle, England?

And if we should only write about what we know, how would  Lindsey Davis be able to write about her hero the Roman private enquiry agent Marcus Didius Falco? After all, if we are only to write about what we should know, how could any historically set novel or non-fiction article ever be written?

So rather than saying only write about what you know the BTW (Be That Writer) maxim would be extended out to say: "Write about what you know about... or what you can research."

Over time, Be That Writer will show you what you can write about, how to research it, who to write for, how to write and how NOT to write. The author behind Be That Writer is not only a published author and writer he works as a commissioning editor and will offer you valuable tips on what NOT to do when writing articles for publication in magazines and newspapers.