Last week, I started writing about the loneliness of freelancing and my quest for the ultimate solitude-busting solution. The coworking space. On paper, these shared office spaces seem ideal. They bring together freelancers to share their skills, rants about difficult clients and lunchtimes. I did a little research and decided to do a trial day…
Author: English Copywriter in Paris
English Copywriter in Paris: the little French details
The title of my recent post about the solitude of freelancing may have (misleadingly) seemed a little negative, so I thought I’d clear up any confusion with a more cheerful topic to start to the almost spring-like month of March. I’ve already touched on some of the big cultural differences between France and the UK,…
English Copywriter in Paris: time has changed for freelancers
We are obsessed by time and expressions using the term are omnipresent. Times flies. It’s a matter of time. Time is of the essence. There’s no time like the present We have a complex relationship with time and, what’s more, the clock never seems to tick at the same rate – time slows down when…
English Copywriter in Paris: parlez-vous anglais?
Parisians don’t speak English. The French are useless at learning languages. French people find the English accent sexy. The list of stereotypes about the relationship between French people and the English language is long… and filled with some half-truths and plenty of plain nonsense. Based on my 6 years living in the French capital, including…
English Copywriter in Paris: surviving as a freelancer in France
It’s been a while. I had angelic intentions about writing regularly, but they were slowly washed away by waves of work and long weekends with friends and family. However, now that August is on the horizon and my clients are heading off to the beach, I can finally stop, take some deep breaths and find…
English Copywriter in Paris: the administrative pitfalls of freelancing in France
As promised in my last blog post about surviving as a freelancer in France, I’m going to look at some of administrative pitfalls you may trip into and how to avoid them, or at least get a little less stressed. The administrative jungle The auto-entrepreneur status is a dream come for anyone, like me, who can’t think of anything…
English Copywriter in Paris: finding fresh inspiration
The Rentrée has been and gone with October hovering ready to land on Thursday. It’s been a busy month in “back-to-school” mode after the long, sunny summer days when nearly every company and agency in Paris closed its doors for at least a couple of peaceful weeks. It’s back to routines and daily life, to administrative…
English Copywriter in Paris: Argentine Adventures Part I
So, once again I’ve been really bad at keeping my blog up to date. This time, I can add to the usual list of culprits (new projects, tight deadlines etc.) a month-long trip to Argentina! One of the BIG advantages of “going freelance” is having the freedom to choose when and how long you go on…
English Copywriter in Paris: Argentine adventures Part II
Last week, I started to compile a list of the top 9 things I learnt during my travels through the snowy mountains and vast lakes of Argentina including my new ability to sleep in public transport and the powerful flavours of the country’s world famous wine. This week it’s all about… 1.) Red meat is better with sides Argentina is famous…
English Copywriter in Paris: The highs and lows of language learning
After years of mastering French and Spanish, both at school and in the big wide world, it’s now time for me to get back to the books. I thought I was finished with learning complicated grammar rules, difficult-to-pronounce sounds and culturally charged expressions. But, being with a Franco-Tunisian born and brought up in Tunis, it…