Francine

Tolkien & Lewis

A quiet delight of history is the fact that so many literary greats knew each other. In England, at least, this is less happy coincidence and more a side effect of the country’s cloistered bunch of elite universities. Still, just for now, let’s not hold that against the memory of young men, smoking pipes like …

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The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret

Each month, we read one of the Discworld novels, going in chronological order; we then summarise, dissect and discuss it in front of a microphone, in three parts.

We point out literary devices, track character development, highlight bits we liked (and, more reluctantly, bits we didn’t), and go down tangential research rabbit holes.

An unlikely source of names

I can’t vocalise why particular combinations – Matthew Grief, Gloria Swarm, Jebediah Vault – sound so funny, but they are very satisfying. Often, the results of trying to find these names are trounced by coincidence.

Keeping Track: Freelance Writing with ADHD

ADHD affects an offensively large section of behaviour called executive functioning.
Executive functioning, when it’s, er, functioning, helps you plan, keep track of time, pay attention and — importantly for this article — bolsters your working memory and helps you think creatively.

Headphones on split background

Podcasts for freelance writers & editors

Podcasts are double-uppers. They entertain me while I rinse dishes. They educate me as I stride, with an air of misleading purpose, from house to coffee shop and back again.

I was introduced to podcasts late in the game – bored, exhausted and sans television after a move in 2015, I Googled “QI facts radio show”.

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