BEGINNERS
Work experience
There’s only one way to find out if you can write something worth reading, and it’s learning on the job, says Adrian Magson
Adrian Magson
I was once asked many years ago what made me think I could be any good as a writer.
It was a simple enough question and, fortunately, not asked by a family member, one of that strange tribe that thinks they can say – or ask – anything, without sounding doubtful, sceptical, judgemental or plain rude. The person asking was a good friend, one of that smaller tribe who are happy to believe you might want to try something different (especially different to them) without the judgement – rather, a sense of interest and encouragement.
Truth is, I didn’t know… at first. How could I? I could string words together, thanks to a brilliant English teacher at school (and if there’s anything which set me apart back then from many of my classmates it was that I liked the subject). The flip side was, I was truly rubbish at maths, which made me a little envious of my colleagues who could make numbers work without getting my version of brain-freeze.