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Lorraine Mace

Writers Bureau Tutor Talks About Writing Humour

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Download a PDF of the main points made in Lorraine's video.

You can read a transcript of Lorraine's video below;

HOW DID YOU START WRITING HUMOUR?

I was a Writers Bureau student and Assignment 5 called for a humour piece which I attempted and really enjoyed. I discovered I had a knack for it. I went on to write several more pieces from the point of view of an ex-pat living in France and the editor of Living France Magazine gave me a regular column as a result. When I moved to Spain the editor of Spanish Magazine offered me a similar column and I now write humour for Writing Magazine.

WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK FUNNY?

I tend to use situations that could happen to just about anyone. I draw word pictures so that my readers can see events unfold. I invite them to laugh with me and sometimes at me but I don't mind that.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR IDEAS?

I find them everywhere, all around me, whatever I'm doing. Whether I'm working on a non-fiction article, or I'm writing a book, or I'm attending an event that could actually be quite a serious event, something will happen that makes me smile – it might not even be noticed by anybody else but I pick up on it and then I will build an article around that one tiny point.

TIPS TO START WRITING HUMOUR

Non-fiction humour works best when it relates to events in a writer's own life so, if something strikes you as funny, note it down. It's amazing how often  the best articles, the funniest articles, come from a non-humorous situation.

WHAT'S THE FORMAT OF HUMOROUS NON-FICTION?

Humorous non-fiction should be written in a lively and chatty tone. Imagine that you are telling a story to a friend and, like any story, it should have a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning should signal from the outset that this is a humour piece so that the reader knows not to expect something serious. The ending should refer back to the beginning and tie it up with a good punchline. Opening lines and closing paragraphs make or break a humour piece.

DO YOU USE HUMOUR IN OTHER GENRES?

I use exactly the same style of humour in my children's book which my agent  is marketing for me. Although this is a horror story, it is interspersed with exactly the same type of humour as I use in my articles. I write humour verse. I won the Petra Kenney International Poetry Prize for Humour and I've used humour in my latest non-fiction book, which is a book of tips for people who wish to move abroad. I find using humour in serious subjects helps people to read things that would otherwise by very dry.

 
 

Theresa Gooda Writers Bureau's Student of the Year 2021

“I began my first Writers Bureau course (Comprehensive Creative Writing) in 2007. Having more than covered the course fees from published pieces I have never looked back. Initially my ambitions were to get going. I knew I wanted to be a writer, I just didn’t know how to go about it, or, if I’m honest, quite what I wanted to write. Since, I have gradually blended a teaching career with writing, first with articles and short stories, then increasing the writing commitment dramatically when I secured an agent in 2016 to ghostwrite a series of memoirs. This year I have undertaken The Art of Writing Poetry course to really hone my skills in what I now realise is a genre I love - and have already had my first poems published.”

Theresa Gooda - Writers Bureau Student of the Year 2021

Read Theresa's full story
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The WRITERS BUREAU

Privacy Policy

10th August 2018

BACKGROUND:

The Writers Bureau understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website, www.writersbureau.com ("Our Site") and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a manner that is consistent with Our obligations and your rights under the law.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of Our Privacy Policy is deemed to occur upon clicking `Accept Cookies` on our Cookie Policy Popup and You will be required to read and accept this Privacy Policy when signing up for an Account. If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using Our Site immediately.

1 - Definitions and Interpretation

  • In this Policy, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 

"Account"

means an account required to access and/or use certain areas and features of Our Site;

"Cookie"

means a small text file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site and/or when you use certain features of Our Site. Details of the Cookies used by Our Site are set out in section 13, below;

"Cookie Law"

means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003;

"Personal Data"

means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data. In this case, it means personal data that you give to Us via Our Site. This definition shall, where applicable, incorporate the definitions provided in the EU Regulation 2016/679 – the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"); and

"We/Us/Our"

means The Writers Bureau is a division of Systematic Training and Trading Ltd (STT), a limited company registered in England under company number 256396, whose registered address is 8-10 Dutton Street, Manchester, M3 1LE., and whose main trading address is as above.

2 - Information About Us

  • 2.1 Our Site is owned and operated by The Writers Bureau a division of Systematic Training and Trading Ltd (STT), a limited company registered in England under company number 256396, whose registered address is as above.
  • 2.2 Our Data Protection Manager is David Pendlebury, and can be contacted by email at studentservices@writersbureau.com, by telephone on 0161 819 9922, or by post at whose registered address is 8-10 Dutton Street, Manchester, M3 1LE.

3 - What Does This Policy Cover?

  • This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of Our Site. Our Site may contain links to other websites. Please note that We have no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by other websites and We advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.

4 - Your Rights

  • 4.1 As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR, which this Policy and Our use of personal data have been designed to uphold:
    • 4.1.1 The right to be informed about Our collection and use of personal data;
    • 4.1.2 The right of access to the personal data We hold about you (see section 12);
    • 4.1.3 The right to rectification if any personal data We hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete (please contact Us using the details in section 14);
    • 4.1.4 The right to be forgotten – i.e. the right to ask Us to delete any personal data We hold about you (We only hold your personal data for a limited time, as explained in section 6 but if you would like Us to delete it sooner, please contact Us using the details in section 14);
    • 4.1.5 The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data;
    • 4.1.6 The right to data portability (obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use with another service or organisation);
    • 4.1.7 The right to object to Us using your personal data for particular purposes; and
    • 4.1.8 Rights with respect to automated decision making and profiling.
  • 4.2 If you have any cause for complaint about Our use of your personal data, please contact Us using the details provided in section 14 and We will do Our best to solve the problem for you. If We are unable to help, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
  • 4.3 For further information about your rights, please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

5 - What Data Do We Collect?

  • Depending upon your use of Our Site, We may collect some or all of the following personal and non-personal data (please also see section 13 on Our use of Cookies and similar technologies:
    • 5.1 Name;
    • 5.2 Contact information such as email addresses and telephone numbers;
    • 5.3 Demographic information such as post code,
    • 5.4 IP address;
    • 5.5 Web browser type and version;
    • 5.6 Operating system;
    • 5.7 A list of URLs starting with a referring site, your activity on Our Site, and the site you exit to;

6 - How Do We Use Your Data?

  • 6.1 All personal data is processed and stored securely, for no longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. We will comply with Our obligations and safeguard your rights under the GDPR at all times. For more details on security see section 7, below.
  • 6.2 Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis, either because it is necessary for Our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to Our use of your personal data (e.g. by requesting details), or because it is in Our legitimate interests. Specifically, We may use your data for the following purposes:
    • 6.2.1 Providing and managing your Account;
    • 6.2.2 Providing and managing your access to Our Site;
    • 6.2.3 Personalising and tailoring your experience on Our Site;
    • 6.2.4 Supplying Our products and services to you (please note that We require your personal data in order to enter into a contract with you);
    • 6.2.5 Personalising and tailoring Our products for you;
    • 6.2.6 Replying to emails from you;
    • 6.2.7 Supplying you with emails about our courses and services (you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ link in the email)
    • 6.2.8 Market research;
    • 6.2.9 Analysing your use of Our Site and gathering feedback to enable Us to continually improve Our Site and your user experience;
  • 6.3 With your permission and/or where permitted by law, We may also use your data for marketing purposes which may include contacting you by email telephone, text message and post with information, news and offers on Our products and services. We will not, however, send you any unsolicited marketing or spam and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that We fully protect your rights and comply with Our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
  • 6.4 You have the right to withdraw your consent to Us using your personal data at any time, and to request that We delete it.
  • 6.5 We do not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected.

7 - How and Where Do We Store Your Data?

  • 7.1 We only keep your personal data for as long as We need to in order to use it as described above in section 6, and/or for as long as We have your permission to keep it.
    • 7.1.1 Your data will be stored within the European Economic Area ("the EEA") (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein).

      AND
    • 7.1.2 Some or all of your data may be stored outside of the European Economic Area ("the EEA") (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). You are deemed to accept and agree to this by using Our Site and submitting information to Us. If We do store data outside the EEA, We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and under the GDPR.
  • 7.2 Data security is very important to Us, and to protect your data We have taken suitable measures to safeguard and secure data collected through Our Site.
  • 7.3 Steps We take to secure and protect your data include:
    • 7.3.1 Installation of a suitable SSL security certificate
  • 7.4 Where Your Data is Stored Before Enrolment:

    The details you supplied when requesting information are securely stored on our server and are used to send you information about our courses and services.

    We use Communigator as our emailing system and your name and email address are stored therein and are used to send you information about our courses and services.
  • 7.5 Where Your Data is Stored After Enrolment:

    We use Communigator as our emailing system and your name and email address are stored therein and are used to update you with WB news.

    If you paid by card: We use SagePay or PayPal to process your card payments so your details are stored therein.

    If you paid by direct debit: We use FastPay to process direct debit payments and your details are stored therein.

    Your enrolment details and progress through the course are securely stored on our server.

    If you enrolled by phone or post and have been given access to the online course materials your name and email address are stored on our website.

    If you enrolled online, your details are stored on The Writers Bureau website.

    Information provided on the Market Research Questionnaire, which you complete with your first assignment, is not stored against any identifying information about you and is only used to gain a general profile of our student body.

    Information provided on the Personal Profile Questionnaire, which you complete with your first assignment, is not recorded or held at head office for profiling or any other purposes. This is sent to your tutor to help them get to know you a little and therefore be in a better position to help you with your studies.
  • 7.6 Where Your Data is Stored When You Enter A Competition:

    We use Communigator as our emailing system and your name and email address are stored therein and are used to update you with Competition news.

    If you paid by card: Your details, except card details, are stored within our cart. We use SagePay or PayPal to process your card payments so your details are stored therein.

    Your entry details are securely stored on our server.
  • 7.7 Where Your Data is Stored When You Join The Association of Freelance Writers:

    We use Communigator as our emailing system and your name and email address are stored therein and are used to update you with AFW news.

    If you paid by card: Your details, except card details, are stored within our cart. We use SagePay or PayPal to process your card payments so your details are stored therein.

    Your membership details are securely stored on our server.

8 - Do We Share Your Data?

  • 8.1 Subject to section 8.2, We will not share any of your data with any third parties other than those cited in sections 7.5 - 7.8.
  • 8.2 In certain circumstances, We may be legally required to share certain data held by Us, which may include your personal data, for example, where We are involved in legal proceedings, where We are complying with legal obligations, a court order, or a governmental authority.
  • 8.3 We may compile statistics about the use of Our Site including data on traffic, usage patterns, user numbers, sales, and other information. All such data will be anonymised and will not include any personally identifying data, or any anonymised data that can be combined with other data and used to identify you. We may from time to time share such data with third parties such as prospective investors, affiliates, partners, and advertisers. Data will only be shared and used within the bounds of the law.
  • 8.4 We may sometimes use third party data processors that are located outside of the European Economic Area ("the EEA") (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). Where We transfer any personal data outside the EEA, We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and under the GDPR.

9 - What Happens If Our Business Changes Hands?

  • 9.1 We may, from time to time, expand or reduce Our business and this may involve the sale and/or the transfer of control of all or part of Our business. Any personal data that you have provided will, where it is relevant to any part of Our business that is being transferred, be transferred along with that part and the new owner or newly controlling party will, under the terms of this Privacy Policy, be permitted to use that data only for the same purposes for which it was originally collected by Us.
  • 9.2 In the event that any of your data is to be transferred in such a manner, you will not be contacted in advance and informed of the changes.

10 - How Can You Control Your Data?

  • 10.1 When you submit personal data via Our Site, you may be given options to restrict Our use of your data. In particular, We aim to give you strong controls on Our use of your data for direct marketing purposes (including the ability to stop receiving emails from Us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in Our emails).
  • 10.2 You may also wish to sign up to one or more of the preference services operating in the UK: The Telephone Preference Service ("the TPS"), the Corporate Telephone Preference Service ("the CTPS"), and the Mailing Preference Service ("the MPS"). These may help to prevent you receiving unsolicited marketing. Please note, however, that these services will not prevent you from receiving marketing communications that you have consented to receiving.

11 - Your Right to Withhold Information

  • 11.1 You may access certain areas Our Site without providing any data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on Our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data.
  • 11.2 You may restrict Our use of Cookies. For more information, see section 13

12 - How Can You Access Your Data?

  • You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your personal data held by Us (where such data is held). Under the GDPR, no fee is payable and We will provide any and all information in response to your request free of charge. Please contact Us for more details at studentservices@writersbureau.com, or using the contact details below in section 14.

13 - Our Use of Cookies

  • 13.1 Our Site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and to provide and improve Our products and services. We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.
  • 13.2 By using Our Site you may also receive certain third party Cookies on your computer or device. Third party Cookies are those placed by websites, services, and/or parties other than Us. Third party Cookies are used on Our Site for advertising services. For more details, please refer to section 6, above, and to section 13.6 below. These Cookies are not integral to the functioning of Our Site and your use and experience of Our Site will not be impaired by refusing consent to them.
  • 13.3 All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law.
  • 13.4 Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a popup requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling Us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended.
  • 13.5 Certain features of Our Site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be "strictly necessary". These Cookies are shown below in section 13.6. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings as detailed below in section 13.10, but please be aware that Our Site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.
  • 13.6 The following first party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:

Name of Cookie

Purpose

Strictly Necessary

__utmb

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__utmt_~1

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__utmt

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__utmc

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__utma

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__utmz

Analytics Cookie

Yes

__PHPSESSID

Analytics Cookie

Yes
     
  • 13.7 Our Site uses analytics services provided by Google Analytics. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling Us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables Us to improve Our Site and the products and services offered through it. You do not have to allow Us to use these Cookies, however whilst Our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable Us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.
  • 13.8 The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) Cookies to gather the required information.
  • 13.9 The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) the following Cookies:

Name of Cookie

First / Third Party

Provider

Purpose

_ga

Third Party

Google Analytics

Analytics Cookie

_gac_UA- 3238985-6

Third Party

Google Analytics

Analytics Cookie
  • 13.10 In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
  • 13.11 You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access Our Site more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.
  • 13.12 It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.
  • Our Site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and to provide and improve Our products and services. By using Our Site you may also receive certain third party Cookies on your computer or device. Third party Cookies are those placed by websites, services, and/or parties other than Us. Third party Cookies are used on Our Site for advertising services. In addition, Our Site uses analytics services provided by Google Analytics, which also use Cookies. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse usage statistics, enabling Us to better understand how people use Our Site. For more details, please refer to Our Cookie section in this document

14 - Contacting Us

  • If you have any questions about Our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact Us by email at studentservices@writersbureau.com, by telephone on 0161 819 9922, or by post at 8-10 Dutton Street, Manchester, M3 1LE. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data We hold about you (as under section 12, above).

15 - Changes to Our Privacy Policy

  • We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if the law changes). Any changes will be immediately posted on Our Site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of Our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.