Okay, here’s a question only a writer could consider fondly: do you remember your first dictionary? Mine was a big, red, faux-leather bound Webster’s Encyclopedic, which my Mum bought in the early 70s. It was the thickest, heaviest book we owned and, along with Blue Peter and eggs and bacon, was one of the few things that never let us down. It was always there – always right.

There’s been lots of others since: pocket editions, abridged versions, one huge Collins Roberts French/English from the early nineties and, more recently, a Junior Oxford. But none of them will ever match that old Webster’s. To my mind it remains the font of all knowledge. Read the rest of this entry »

This is another post that’s been prompted by a couple of emails we’ve received here at The Writers Bureau. They concern how we choose to spell words. The first was from overseas and asked why we spell enrol with one ‘l’ – ‘Should it not be two?’ was the query. Well, if you live in the USA, and this person does, then yes, it should be two. But, here in the UK we spell it with one. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a difficult question to answer, as it all depends on how much time and effort you are prepared to put into it. Some people spend hours and hours on their blog because it’s a way for them to make money, with advertising and so on. But, what if you’re just using it to promote yourself as a creative writer, is it really worth your time?

Well, the best way to evaluate this is to look at what you need to do to have a blog that people want to come back to time and again. Read the rest of this entry »