Training & mentoring

Practical editorial training for people who need to communicate clearly, often quickly, and sometimes under considerable pressure.

I run workshops and mentoring sessions for writers, communications teams, federations, event staff and emerging media professionals.

The focus is on techniques people can actually use when they return to their desks.

That might mean structuring a story more effectively, writing stronger introductions, knowing what to cut, interviewing athletes more productively or handling the particular demands of event reporting.

I’ve spent more than two decades writing and editing athletics content, as well as working with contributors and developing other writers. My training draws heavily on real examples and real editorial situations rather than abstract rules.

Sessions can be built around an organisation’s own content and challenges, which usually makes them considerably more useful than a generic writing course.

Possible workshop topics

• Writing clearly and concisely
• Structuring features and news stories
• Event reporting under deadline pressure
• Interviewing athletes
• Editing your own work
• Writing for different audiences
• Using statistics without losing the story
• Headlines, intros and digital presentation
• Editorial judgement and quality control

Training can range from a single focused workshop to a longer programme involving follow-up sessions or individual mentoring.

I can also work with university students or emerging writers as part of event newsroom programmes, giving them practical experience while producing useful content for the event.

Good editorial training shouldn’t leave people thinking about writing theory. It should leave them better equipped to deal with the next blank page.

Looking for a workshop, mentoring session or training programme? Get in touch.