Comments for The official ideas4writers blog

Comment on Question Brainstorming – the Faster Way to Get Great Ideas by Keith Harmeyer, Principal, SmartStorming

Keith Harmeyer, Principal, SmartStorming — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:52:15 +0000

Excellent post and a very interesting technique. We use similar approaches in our system. In fact, questioning in general is one of the most powerful skills that brainstorm facilitators should master. By simply posing the right question at the right time, a group’s entire direction can be changed. When energy is waning, a strong question can immediately regenerate interest and enthusiasm. Great questions can help groups turn so-so ideas into great ones. And great ones into brilliant ones.

I enjoyed reading this a lot. Thanks!

Comment on Trackpad burn by alex

alex — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:22:49 +0000

hi dave, i found your post because i put ‘trackpad burn’ into a google search. my toshiba laptop’s trackpad gets very hot and i wondered whether the unpleasant sensation on my trackpad finger after browsing for a while could be considered something like a slow burn… and whether it’s likely to cause long-term problems. it’s not very nice, i’m buying a mouse, and at the moment that’s all i’ve got to say about it!

Comment on Happy birthday ideas4writers! by Ann-Marie Cooper

Ann-Marie Cooper — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:52:17 +0000

Happy Birthday and hi Dave, Kate and everyone else who works really hard at I4W. I’ve not been a member for that long but you have certainly inspired me to work a lot harder at my writing. Through your book Fastest Way… I was inspired to enrol at university on a creative writing course, and here I am starting my second semester and it’s all down to you so keep up the good work. I’ll probably carry on being a silent admirer, so congratulations on giving birth to such a great idea.

Ann-Marie

Comment on Touchpad burn – update by gregger

gregger — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:54:59 +0000

Yes! My MSI Wind’s touchpad makes my fingers very sore for no apparent reason.

I did the $8 touchpad replacement with the Synaptics touchpad from the Eee PC partially because the Syntellic one sucks and also to see if my finger would stop burning. Nope. It doesn’t replace that surface on the outside.

I’m still looking for an answer….

Comment on Forthcoming historic anniversaries, Oct 2009 by Kieron Clark

Kieron Clark — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:05:50 +0000

Hi Dave,

Well done for remembering the 75th anniversary of Jean Vigo’s death! I wrote a tribute recently on my film ‘blog (http://matineeidle.wordpress.com) but haven’t seen anything else in the media. Hopefully at least one of the broadsheets will have something on Vigo on Monday.

All the best,

Kieron.

Comment on Happy birthday ideas4writers! by Anne Ffowcs Williams

Anne Ffowcs Williams — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:58:44 +0000

Hi, Dave.

I’ve been one of your lazy lurkers for many years – have forgotten how many but my dog, Archie, when a puppy, featured in the weekly photos. I’m a better reader than a writer but thanks to I4W I am still writing. I check in to the forums regularly and learn an enormous amount there, too, Like Kaz my Fastest Way is well thumbed. But mainly I’m inspired by what you and Kate achieve. Many congratulations and thanks to you both.

Anne

Comment on Happy birthday ideas4writers! by Geoff Anderson

Geoff Anderson — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:43:45 +0000

In the Land of Ideas that you inhabit, Dave, and where you invite us to join you, there is no such thing as time. Seven years, seventy times seven years, it’s an artificial marker. What is real is the wealth of ideas that you’ve shared with the world, and the inspiration to make lazy boneses like me buckle down and DO it. Thanks to you, Dave, I did it and I shall always be grateful, as I’m sure Carys is grateful in the parallel universe where our ideas take flesh.

I’ve nearly finished my childhood memoirs (0-19yrs) and I’ve already exceeded the word count of Aranrhod, so I’ve no intention of publishing them in printed book form! This is a record for my family, and close friends who would like to know me a little better by visiting my childhood.

Then I look forward to getting back to Aranrhod’s sequel. I feel the rest from it will have done me good. In light of my shocking memory, I could probably read Aranrhod now and notice all the lousy bits that familiarity had shielded from my critical faculties! Perhaps I’ll leave it a few more years …

Thanks again Dave, and keep chasing your dreams!

Geoff

Comment on The Date-A-Base Book 2010 – on sale now! by Dave Haslett

Dave Haslett — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:59:20 +0000

We have ecopies. The Date-A-Base Book 2010 is available as both an ebook and as a printed version. Get yours from
http://www.ideas4writers.co.uk/books/date-a-base

Comment on Members’ News – July 2009 by Betty Taylor

Betty Taylor — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:33:55 +0000

I recently received a prize for my entry to a cinquain competition in Writing Magazine. For my brief cinquain I received copies of collections by Seamus Heaney, Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Wendy Cope, T S Eliot, W H Auden, Simon Armitage, Siegfried Sassoon, Sylvia Plath. I’m thrilled!

PS Thanks for your regular newsy e-mails.

Comment on Happy birthday ideas4writers! by Kaz Jordyn

Kaz Jordyn — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:42:17 +0000

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY I4W!!

The Fastest Way To Write Your Book is still one of the best-thumbed reference books on my shelf. I refer to it often. The thing I like about it most, is that all the chapters are broken down into bite-sized chunks that you can dip in and out of, even if you’ve only got a spare five minutes. These nuggets of wisdom motivate and inspire the writer – and most importantly – help you get more done in less time. Can’t be bad!

Oh and the Mind Map section is a revelation – I use it all the time now for all my projects.

Cheers, Dave & Kate!