Newsletter: May 2, 2026
- joannanorland
- May 2
- 2 min read
Dear Writers-at-heart,
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, inspiration-on-tap to help you get your ideas out of your head, onto the page and into the world.
Something useful -- Stress-free tenses
Do you ever struggle with how to use tenses when writing a passage with flashbacks occurring in the near and far past? One of my coaching students gained instant clarity from this nifty "two-square" rule in the Writer’s Pocket Guide.
This quick refresher about the four types of past tense is also handy.
I don’t want us to fixate on the fine points of syntax, but having a grasp of the key mechanics frees us up to focus on our ideas.
Something really, really, really fun: Collective nouns
(Is the collective noun for superlatives an insecurity, as in, "she prefaced her topic with an insecurity of 'reallies'"?)
Grateful to Brian Bilston – the "Banksy of the poetry world" (or perhaps, Shel Silverstein in Cyberspace) – for his serious commitment to wordplay. I hope this poem inspires you to craft a collective noun glossery of your own. Send them to me, and I'll post, next newsletter!
Coming Up: Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival Workshops - May 8 & 9
Join me for these fun, full-participation writing workshops:
Write a Heartfelt Letter of Gratitude (F. May 8, 10 a.m. - noon)
Letters as a Literary Device (S. May 9, 10 a.m. - noon)
Three Myths That Keep You From Writing...and one Truth to Get You Back on Track (May 8 & 9, 2-3:30 p.m.)
All welcome, whatever your experience level.
Come to play and leave inspired, with a letter to send, fresh ideas to explore -- or even a complete piece of microfiction ready to submit.
Special Offer: Test-Drive "Write in Ten" for a month for £29.99
Is your writer's soul seeking some extra structure and support to bloom? I warmly invite you to test-drive the Write in Ten community for a month, May 10-June 9.
For less than a pound a day, you access:
✏️ My “Write in Ten” WhatsApp group. I post daily with structure, support and strategies to help you achieve your goals. It's your space to share your writing successes and challenges, and ask questions of your fellow writers.
✏️ My weekly online writing sessions, Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m: Communal, productive and inspiring. We meet online for an hour of writing, with an optional prompt and a follow up chat.
When I have Write-by-Zoom coming up in the evening, I look forward to it all day, because I know I have a precious hour bookmarked for my writing, and whatever happens with my job and family, I’ll go to bed knowing I’ve spent time on my project and feeling like ‘I can do this!’
Cate Sloan, Writer and UX Consultant.
Thanks for reading!
Make it a great May - See you in June,
jo
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