Elmore Leonard’s Rules of Writing In keeping with recent posts featuring prominent authors’ tips for writers, here’s Elmore Leonard’s famous Ten Rules of Writing. Leonard is a crime writer, and quite possibly among my top three favourite writers ever. Looking …
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“Ignorance is bliss” … how can firms have learned NOTHING in the last 150 years? Plus the tantalising moment that can transform your profits
The other day I got an email from a firm called AdvertTracker, whose skills either do not include literacy or who do not bother to check their emails for grammatical errors before they send them out. The copy read: “This …
Read More“A fool and his money are soon parted” – with an invitation for you
The internet is a bit like the Wild West. Very little law and order – and too many killings by unscrupulous rogues. I have noted three infallible signs of a likely rip-off. 1. The phrase: “My good friend”. 2. A …
Read More“When a man speaks of his honour and a woman of her virtue, avoid the former and cultivate the latter.” – John Wilkes
Do you like that? I’m not sure it was John Wilkes who said it, but it certainly was someone in the late 18th century. Anyhow, have you noticed the remarkable discrepancy between what people say they do and how they …
Read MoreAn African jolly, lunacy recollected in tranquillity – and the rise of kleptocracy
On the left is Brian Mdluli’s beautiful 4 year-old daughter Katlego who was with us for most of the day yesterday. We went on what turned out to be a 12-hour jaunt in a minibus with Brian, his wife, and …
Read MoreAny time you start to feel sorry for yourself, think about Thomas
Since this is a blog, supposed to be all about deeply fascinating and revealing things that happen to wonderful, senile me, let me tell you that the weather in Johannesburg has been cold, miserable and wet, but is looking better …
Read MoreWant to succeed? Here’s something from my files …
I’ve written God knows how many articles. Here’s something that ran in a magazine 12 years ago. It was called “How to succeed in marketing – though not without trying very hard.” You may like it. And then again you …
Read MorePut on a happy face – or lose your brownie points
Yesterday I had a bit of a nightmare journey from Newark to Heathrow. The reason was that whoever sold me my usual cheapo flight told me I was on United when I wasn’t. When I arrived at the airport the …
Read MoreMarketers are interested in marketing trends. Customers aren’t
For years I have followed with mingled hilarity and irritation the way marketers, unable for the most part to think for themselves, latch on to each new trend in the hope that it will do their work for them. For …
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