https://www.abi-brown.com/blog Freelance writing, editing and proofreading from a London-based professional - plus cooking, lifestyle, Green Party politics and unabashed nerdiness. en-gb https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/freelancing-through-platforms-vs-finding-clients-directly/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/freelancing-through-platforms-vs-finding-clients-directly/ Mon, 23 Apr 2018 09:00:00 +0000 Freelancing The pros and cons of finding freelance writing work through platforms like Upwork and People Per Hour versus building a client list of your own. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/the-science-fiction-that-got-me-through-2017/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/the-science-fiction-that-got-me-through-2017/ Mon, 26 Feb 2018 09:00:00 +0000 Nerdiness The science fiction novels I loved in 2017, including The Stone Sky, Provenance, Autonomous, Six Wakes and The Collapsing Empire. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/i-talked-to-a-chatbot-every-day-for-a-month/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/i-talked-to-a-chatbot-every-day-for-a-month/ Mon, 06 Nov 2017 09:00:00 +0000 Nerdiness A month of daily conversations with Replika, an AI companion app: what it gets right, where it falls down, and what AI companions might mean for lonely people. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/working-from-home-in-london-without-going-quietly-mad/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/working-from-home-in-london-without-going-quietly-mad/ Mon, 20 Mar 2017 09:00:00 +0000 Lifestyle Five years of freelancing from a London flat: routines, workspaces, libraries, cafe etiquette, loneliness and how to keep work from taking over home. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/cheats-mince-pies-and-a-defence-of-shop-bought-pastry/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/cheats-mince-pies-and-a-defence-of-shop-bought-pastry/ Mon, 12 Dec 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Cooking Easy Christmas mince pies made with ready-rolled pastry and a jar of mincemeat livened up with apple, orange zest and a splash of brandy. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/how-to-write-product-descriptions-that-dont-all-sound-the-same/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/how-to-write-product-descriptions-that-dont-all-sound-the-same/ Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Freelancing Practical tips from years of writing catalogue and e-commerce copy: benefits over features, sensory detail, cutting cliches and writing for a real customer. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/board-games-for-people-who-say-they-dont-like-board-games/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/board-games-for-people-who-say-they-dont-like-board-games/ Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Nerdiness Six modern board and card games that win over people who think they hate board games, from Codenames to Ticket to Ride, Pandemic and Dixit. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/after-the-mayoral-election-why-im-still-green/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/after-the-mayoral-election-why-im-still-green/ Mon, 09 May 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Politics Thoughts after the 2016 London mayoral and Assembly elections: what the Green Party campaigned on, what we achieved, and why I'm staying a member. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/a-weeknight-dal-for-people-who-are-very-tired/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/a-weeknight-dal-for-people-who-are-very-tired/ Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Cooking A cheap, comforting red lentil dal made from storecupboard ingredients in about half an hour, with a quick spiced butter tarka to finish. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/proofreading-copy-editing-or-editing-what-are-you-paying-for/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/proofreading-copy-editing-or-editing-what-are-you-paying-for/ Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Freelancing The difference between proofreading, copy-editing and structural editing, with examples, and how to work out which one your document actually needs. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/what-three-years-of-content-mills-taught-me/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/what-three-years-of-content-mills-taught-me/ Mon, 18 Jan 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Freelancing Lessons from three years of writing through Textbroker, Writer's Domain, Elance and People Per Hour: speed, briefs, ratings, rates and knowing when to move on. https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/hello-world-or-at-least-hello-london/ https://www.abi-brown.com/blog/hello-world-or-at-least-hello-london/ Wed, 09 Dec 2015 09:00:00 +0000 Lifestyle An introduction to the blog: who I am, what I write for a living, and what you can expect to find here - writing, cooking, Green politics and a lot of nerdiness.