A writer’s building blocks

Becoming Reed Words' newest writer has got me thinking about my journey from the ground up – and what to do if the elevator breaks down.

Writer’s block tip #1: The best place to start is the beginning

For me, building a career in writing began a bit like the start of this sentence. With buildings. They’re probably the thing I’ve written about most, from opinion pieces on whether Le Corbusier is barbaric or brilliant, to the marketing of Manchester’s cotton mills. You could say I’m a master at it, or at least I’ve got a Masters in it.

Along with words, buildings are my biggest love (and sometimes, source of hatred). Even though I write more about brands than buildings these days, it always comes back to architecture (especially when I'm in need of inspiration).

Picking the right words takes careful design, consideration of their surroundings and a decent whack of creativity. Like a shoddy skyscraper, a story crumbles without a sturdy structure.

Whenever I wander a city, I often think about how buildings can make or break a neighbourhood. Or at least spark a conversation (hello, Beetham Tower). No matter how big or small, words hold this same shadowy power, especially for brands.

I’m incredibly lucky to work with a team of intuitive language architects here at Reed Words, each with a bunch of grand designs and beautiful creations under their belts. I can’t wait to start building with them. And if writer’s block ever creeps in, I’ll remember the final adage in my self-help series.

Not every idea comes instantly with the pop of a cartoon lightbulb. But most of the time, there isn’t much a stroll around crane-filled Manchester can’t solve.