I have a thing about George Orwell. You’ll find references to him all over this website – I had to stop myself from putting a couple in the design portfolio. Here’s another one:
‘I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of about seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but I did so with the consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write.’
That was pretty much how it went for me too.
My short stories have been featured at literary festivals across the country, my scripts have been performed onstage and on the radio and I’ve almost finished the second draft of my first novel. You can read a couple of extracts along with a selection of my other work here.
I used to be an Associate Lecturer on the Professional Writing MA and English and Writing degrees at Falmouth University – teaching both in the classroom and online.
Now I work on a freelance basis for the Professional Writing Academy, helping to devise courses, moderating students online and providing detailed reviews on final submissions for novels and short stories.
I like short stories in particular because they’re a great place for beginners to hone the craft of storytelling. They’re so familiar to us, they’re around us all the time – fairy tales, fables, films, TV shows, websites, social media, advertising copy – lots of disconnected mini-narratives all vying for our attention.
If you’d like some more detailed information about the kind of teaching I do, please look here.
I wrote my first strapline in 1998: Doncaster Town Centre – It’s right up my street!
They put it on a T-shirt.
Since then, I’ve written for lots of businesses in lots of different tones of voice. I can adapt my approach to whatever audience you’re trying to reach – from burly builders in Yorkshire to London ladies out on the town.
I’ve written copy for industrial floor cleaners and fork lift trucks, I’ve written for logistics firms, animal charities and care homes – I’ve even written marketing copy for a nail varnish manufacturer.
As a freelancer, I generally white-label my services so I’m going to respect the confidentiality of my clients. But please get in touch if you’d like to discuss a project with me.
