#laura bryars

[lbryars-blog]

The interrobang.

Apparently obsolete, but as far as I'm concerned, the greatest of punctuation marks (or the most beautiful anyway). The interrobang denotes something which is both a question and an exclamation, hence the conjunction of the question mark and an exclamation mark. I propose (and I guarantee I'm not the only one to propose such a thing) a reclamation of the interrobang into the written language. You can find this little hidden symbol within Microsoft Word under 'Insert'>'Symbols'. Ignore the urge to use sparingly-bring the interrobang back to life!

[lbryars-blog]

A little bookwork

As some may know I've been trying to broaden my horizons and start my own freelancing business as a proofreader and copy editor. Fitting it around a 40 hour week at work is challenging to say the least but I can honestly say I haven't felt so motivated in a very long time.

I wanted to share some sources which have been helping and benefiting me in this along the way. I am by no means 'there' yet but feel I am well on my way.

First of all is CTJT, a website offering a correspondence course in Proofreading and Copy-Editing. After about a year of deliberation, I finally bit the bullet and signed up for the course. I have to say what I have experienced of it so far has been a huge benefit. The course tutor is incredibly helpful and full of advice, as well as being prompt in responding. You also receive a fully accredited diploma at the end of the course, as well as the opportunity to stay in touch with your course tutor and continue benefiting from their advice. The course is also completely flexible, with no deadlines, and you ask for the required modules when you're ready. Before finding this course I looked into many others, including; the LSP and Chapterhouse, neither of which felt like the course for me. You can see the course module list here.

Secondly, is the book Brilliant Freelancerby Leif Kendall. I'll be honest, I don't usually buy these sort of books but with a £20 gift card in my hand I thought "Why not give it a go". Well after an evening of reading I can safely tell you I was happy with my purchase. It is everything you need to know, written in a clear, concise manner, by someone who has done it themselves. There's no annoying jargon, no pushy comments or tests to see if you can be the one to make it as a freelancer. It just lays it all out for you and then allows you to make your own choices.

Lastly is FreelanceUK. The name says it all and I'm not even going to bother to review it further than saying it contains all the info you need to get up off your arse and go for it.

Anyway, there's my top three. Watch this space. The business is coming soon. 

[lbryars-blog]

"Anarchism,then,really stands for the liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion, the liberation of the human body, from the dominion of property, liberation from the shackles and restraint of government. Anarchism stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals for the purpose of producing real social wealth, an order that will guarantee to every human being free access to the earth and full engagement of the necessities of life, according to individual desires, tastes and inclinations." - Emma Goldman

I find myself thinking about this quote a lot, well more the content of the quote. Emma Goldman, for a woman born in the 1800s, was incredibly ahead of her peers in her thinking. When I think of anarchy this is what I think of, not violence, not necessarily of punks or the 80s or the recent London riots, but of the belief that we should all be free to live the life we wish for. Maybe it is a naive notion to believe that people should be able to live their lives based on their own moral conscience but it is a rather nice concept, a nice wish for the future generations. 

[lbryars-blog]

This is pretty much my favourite website out there. For a self-professed bibliophile I think there is probably nothing better than the idea of covering your skin in those words that mean so much to you; words that have tugged at your heart strings since the moment you first read them. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing a beautiful picture etched into the skin equally, but there's something different with words. Perhaps thats why I love 'The Pillow Book' (1996) so much-there is something entirely different about words on the flesh.