The Challenge of Writing Summaries

10/01/2025

Writing a few thousand words comes easily for me. Writing a hundred or less is a far greater challenge, especially when that hundred or less must grab the attention of readers and sell books. But what is frustrating is that it seems relatively easy to write a short marketing copy for other people’s books…. Not my own. So if you need help writing blurb or a pull quote or log line for your book, I am sure I can deliver. When it comes to my own work, I guess it’s a case of being too close to it.

A writer an agonise, for hours, over a single word. And on this date, I did.

Can you Type? Well, sort of...

03/04/1979

‍“Legal secretary. Must be able to operate a word processor or willing and able to learn quickly.”

‍What the heck is one of those? (This is 1979, remember!)

‍I phoned and asked for instructions on how to apply.

‍“Interview Friday afternoon 5pm,” the receptionist replied. Just like that. No formal application. No anxious wait for a response. No questions about qualifications. Just turn up on Friday afternoon. What a terrible time for an interview, though!

‍

‍….

‍I got that job. I learned to use that machine, and so began my love affair with computers.

‍This machine was the beginning of a new era for authors, and one that would pave the way for many who could only ever yearn to write a novel to fulfil their wildest dream.