Hard work, not ‘talent’ makes good writing | Letters

Professor Selina Todd argues that you can be taught to write well, as demonstrated by American and Australian university students. Plus letters from Christopher Dodd and Anthony OrmsonIan Jack’s wariness towards writing manuals and classes is a peculiarly British response to teaching this craft (So you want to write better sentences than Jane Austen?, 27 May. While visiting Australian universities a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the fluency and clarity of the (history) students’ prose. It turned out they were taught to write – not by rote learning grammar, which is the only form of pedagogy recognised by the current British government, but in lively writing workshops that encouraged them to believe that anyone, given time and hard work, could write well. Conversations with American colleagues revealed a similar mindset and introduced me to the American writer William Zinsser, whose book On Writing Well I recommend to all my students. Zinsser’s democratic premise is that good writing is the result of hard work, not innate “talent”. That’s a radical realisation for many British students, brought up with the gentlemanly myth that talent is hereditary, effortless and looks a lot like a public schoolboy.It is no coincidence that Zinsser spent part of his career at the New School in New York, the self-declared “comprehensive university”. In Britain, the adult education movement, including the Workers’ Educational Association, and the Open University, has... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prolific TV creator Shonda Rhimes will write 'part memoir, part inspiration' book

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of the TV shows 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Private Practice,' and 'Scandal.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prolific TV creator Shonda Rhimes will write 'part memoir, part inspiration' book (+video)

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of the TV shows 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Private Practice,' and 'Scandal.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anjelica Huston details her childhood, working with father John Huston

Angelica Huston's memoir has received mainly positive reviews and is the first of a planned two-part work. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is an X Factor for novelists a good idea?

A literary talent show is about to be aired in Italy, but is television the right place to nurture literary talent?Jonny Geller, agent and joint CEO, Curtis BrownAn X Factor for books is about to launch on Italian TV – it had to be Italian, didn't it? – and you can imagine the literati running... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH Makes Donation for Typhoon Relief

A substantial donation to the Red Cross was made, with concern for the nearly 1,400 PRH employees in the Author Solutions division who work in Cebu, an area very near where the greatest devastation has taken place. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good Housekeeping Gets New Editor-in-Chief

Hearst Magazines president David Carey announced the hire of Toronto-based Chatelaine editor-in-chief Jane Francisco as editor-in-chief at company flagship Good Housekeeping. Per  Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Follett makes 570 redundant

Campus bookselling chain Follett in the US has made 570 people redundant as part of a move to shift... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gertrude Stein: The Making of a Children’s Book

Gertrude Stein's children's book, The World is Round, is 75 this year and is being rereleased by Harper Design in a reproduction of the book’s first edition from 1939. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jane Francisco Named Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping

Hearst Magazines named Jane Francisco the editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping magazine, the company said Monday, succeeding longtime editor Rosemary Ellis. Ms. Francisco is editor-in-chief of Chatelaine, a women's lifestyle magazine based in Canada. She begins her new job Dec. 2.Ms. Ellis,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Procrastination Doesn't Need A Cure––And Might Even Make You More Productive

Is wasting time as productivity killing as we've always thought, or does it provide a creativity–enhancing escape from the chaos of the world? Stop dawdling and let's explore!Recently, I read a great book and promised to mail it to a friend overseas when I was done, about nine months ago. Today,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lenovo Miix 10 review: A good tablet with an (optional) killer keyboard

Lenovo is known for building notebooks with exquisite keyboards, but the company is also no stranger to the tablet game. It has also introduced pioneering convertibles, such as the Yoga 11s and the newer Flex 14. The Miix 10 should be the culmination of that experience, but this hybrid falls... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rosen at work on Goldsmiths MA

Former children's laureate Michael Rosen is to play a leading role in developing an MA in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baker & Taylor Makes a Push to Reach Indies

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How YouTube's New Arrangements With MCNs Work

In the last week or so, YouTube has been reaching out to the various networks that operate businesses on the platform, implementing new procedures for how these companies handle copyright violations and contracts. Several new details have now emerged on those discussions. Going forward,... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon MatchBook makes a big push for print book buyers to go digital

Amazon MatchBook, which lets customers who've previously bought the print edition of a book from Amazon score a digital copy on the cheap, is now open for business. Months in the making, the new service is a bold plan by Amazon to convert the world's stacks and stacks of books into digital... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More Book Than Nook: Can Barnes & Noble Makes Its E–Reader Feel Like The Real (Paper) Thing?

To compete against the Kindle, Barnes & Noble is going back to its roots, leveraging decades of bookseller expertise to make its Nook e–reader feel more like a paper book. Released Wednesday, the new Nook Simple Touch GlowLight features a brighter, sharper display; lighter body; improved... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pinterest And Your Personal Brand: 7 Steps To Pinning Your Life, Work, And Way To Success

Whether you're a real estate agent, an advertising executive, or an up–and–coming blogger, now is absolutely the time to start using Pinterest to build your personal brand. Although the image–based social network is still struggling to generate significant revenue, its user base continues to... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Matchbook service now live, works with over 70,000 books for $3 or less

Amazon's Matchbook service, which offers ebook versions of hard copies of books like Amazon's Autorip offers digital versions of physical music, is now live. The service supports over 70,000 books at launch with digital equivalents costing $3 or less. The service recognizes purchases from as far... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Power of Cookbook Writing

Michael Anthony, executive chef at Gramercy Tavern, discusses how writing the Gramercy Tavern Cookbook changed his life. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eyetracking And The Neuroscience Of Good Web Design

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[ Fast Company | 2013-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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