PinnedMember-onlyHi, I’m Nina· For the past five years I’ve been living my dream, working as a writer-for-hire. · For the previous fifteen-or-so I was living my nightmare, working in customer services management and corporate HR. · I write for myself (on here, mostly) and for my clients (on their websites and in…Hello2 min read
Published in Freelance Writing, etc.·6 days agoMember-onlyI’ve Started to Hate My Own Email Newsletter“Set up an email newsletter!” all the slick marketing gurus say, the moment you go self-employed or start your own business. “It’s so good for brand-building and customer engagement. You can tell people about everything you’re up to, and then they’ll feel hypnotically compelled to buy from you! Don’t forget…Email Marketing3 min read
Jul 12Member-onlyThe Enjoyfulness of Made-up WordsRecently, I mentioned that one of my clients — whose first language isn’t English — had used the word “enjoyful” during a conversation. “Enjoyful” isn’t a ‘proper’ word, I said (because I had to really, didn’t I?) But I liked it, and now I use it myself. I posted about…Creativity3 min read
Published in Everyday Childfree·Jul 5Member-onlyA Demographer’s Elaborate Plea for GrandchildrenI’ve got no idea what Paul Morland sounds like. But in my head, he spoke every word of his Sunday Times article, “Should we tax the childless?” in an ancient BBC Received Pronunciation (RP) accent. Especially the word “antediluvian”, which I’ll admit I had to look up. (If you don’t…Childfree3 min read
Published in Notes on Identity·Jun 20Member-onlyThe Weird Embarrassment of Middle AgeI used to see my time at the hairdressers as a lovely little ‘me-time’ treat. But as I plunge headfirst into my mid-forties, I’ve started to hate going. The reasons for this are many and varied. One: my roots have streaks of grey in them, so going to the hairdressers…Middle Age5 min read
May 18Member-onlyMaybe You’re Not Sad Enough for Wim HofI don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everybody who’s anybody starts their day by plunging themselves into a body of freezing cold water. “Any other challenge today is going to be less intense than sitting in this thing for 90 seconds,” said BrewDog’s founder James Watt, about his morning ice-bath…Wim Hof4 min read
Apr 18Member-onlyWhy It’s Hard Not to Feel Bitter About My Estranged FamilyI say “estranged family”, but really I’m only estranged from my mum. It’s been this way for over 20 years, and it was my choice to cut off contact. This decision is the best I’ve ever made, for an avalanche of reasons. And as I haven’t got children (again: my…Estrangement3 min read
Published in Notes on Identity·Apr 13Member-onlyMy Imaginary Conversation with the Painter Next DoorI was umming and ahhing last week, wondering whether I should go outside and say something to the man painting the house next-door. He’d been busily — and noisily — rubbing down our shared fence; in the process covering my lovely garden in a shower of manky old paint chips…Conversations3 min read
Published in Everyday Childfree·Apr 6Member-onlyFrom misguided selfishness to that sweet sense of freedom: the 10 love and hate moments of being childfree over 40Things I wish I’d known about being childfree in mid-life Forgive me for sounding glib, but I don’t think there’s much that hasn’t already been said or written about the ups and downs of parenthood. Even forgetting the heaving litany of parenting podcasts and mummy blogs for a moment, there are over 10,000 books about parenthood listed on Amazon alone. …Childfree6 min read
Published in Freelance Writing, etc.·Mar 30Member-onlyPerforming on the Stage of Love No MoneyOr: here’s what it really takes to build a creative career “…whenever I’m asked for my advice on becoming a writer I say: advance slowly. Shore up your position now by getting a stable job and write in the evenings. This way you will write more of what you want and you’ll get to keep writing it for longer. Only throw…Creative Process4 min read