She should be my local rival. We should be at each other’s throats to pin down the next big brief. Instead, Dan Brough is one of my best writing pals and we meet on-the-reg in Newcastle City Centre to eat pastries with the grandads in Pret, drink too much coffee, and put the world to rights. She’s laugh out loud funny and writes a cracking headline. Now you can meet her too.
Dan, imagine I’m about to introduce you to an auditorium, filled with the smiling faces of folks fuelled by caffeine and an eagerness to learn. What would I say?
“Hello everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Dan Brough, owner of Mam’s the Word and collector of everything.”
Marvellous stuff, let’s get stuck in.
Meet Dan, the woman behind Mam’s the Word
Dan, can you name the business book that’s always on your desk? (I’m talking about the one that’s covered in pencil marks, coffee stains and has turned down corners…)
I can’t say I’ve read that many business books but I can tell you my go to book when I’m writing. Bear with me. It’s the Ladybird Book of Spelling and Grammar. I worked with an outstanding writer years ago called Haydon Richard Harris (HRH). The guy was a genius and a complete character. I was in awe of his ability to write the most beautiful prose whilst slightly half-cut. Maybe I should try writing after a pint of Guinness. Whenever anyone had a grammar question, he always referred to this book. He signed it and gave it to me as a gift. When he sadly died, I came to treasure it even more.
What’s your all-time favourite advertising campaign?
Tesco ‘Every Little Helps’ press ads in the early ‘90s. I was well jel of some of those headlines. They were really witty and raised a smile. And the art direction and type were clean and simple. My faves include:
‘Babies.
Ah.
Shopping trips with babies.
Aaargh.
Money off groceries at Tesco.com
Ah.’
‘Valentine’s Day.
We have three ways to a woman’s heart.
Champagne, flowers and chocolates.
And one way to a man’s:
Low prices.’
‘James Bond classics.
Only £7.97 each.
Or if you prefer…
£007.97.’
“Everyone has a book in them…” Or so the saying goes. What do you think/know/believe is the secret to good writing?
When it comes from the heart.
If you were just starting out, what advice would you give yourself? Which book or books would you read first?
I always tell junior writers to read, ‘The Craft of Copywriting’ by Alistair Crompton. I read it at art school. It’s as old as the hills and very dated but the basics are in there. And absorb yourself in words wherever you are. The bus. The supermarket. The pub. Pick stuff up and read it. Even better, nick it and stick it on your pinboard for inspo. Take note of the different tones – what made you smile? What made you want to give a million pounds to that charity?
Silence? Radio? Or music while you work?
Depends on the job. Silence if I need to get my head down and really focus, especially if I’m doing background reading or trying to find the big idea to tie a piece together. But then if it’s something where I’m in my groove and the words are flowing, I love a bit of Greatest Hits radio. The sweet lilt of Ken Bruce.
What are your top three novels of all time – and why?
- Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee. We read it in English Lit at school and I was truly besotted with its charm. He’s such a painter of words. The similes. My God, they’re insane. What talent. This bit will forever make me sighhhhh: “Bees blew like cake-crumbs through the golden air, white butterflies like sugared wafers, and when it wasn’t raining a diamond dust took over which veiled and yet magnified all things.”
- I love anything by Philippa Gregory but I really liked The White Queen and The Other Boleyn Girl. I’m fascinated by history, and the way Gregory combines real fact with her spin on what might have happened blows me away.
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Utterly beautiful –– she transported me to the marshes. I’m that hopeful parent who takes four books on holiday with the silly notion that I might get through one every few days. Reality is, I’m lucky if I finish one. IYKYK. But this book. I kept making excuses for needing to go put some makeup on/sort the packing/load the dishwasher so that I could steal myself away to maybe get a chapter in before a child burst in and thrust their wet cossie on the floor and demanded a snack. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. And the plot twist. I audibly gasped. So much so, my husband was so intrigued he read it too. Gripping.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever written? Why did it rock your world?
I wrote a prospectus for Northumbria Uni at the last agency I worked for. The copy had to be really ballsy and punchy. It was one of those ones where I read it back later and went, “Did I write that? Eeeh, I’m quite chuffed.”
And when I first started out as a freelancer, I wrote a narrative for a housing development on the banks of Loch Lomond. I spent way more time on it than I got paid for but I put my heart and soul into it. I wanted it to be right. I wanted to impress them so badly. When the client read it, he cried… happy tears. It was the ultimate compliment and gave me the conviction I needed to believe in myself.
What’s the last thing you bought? And yes, that packet of chewing gum counts.
Four pints of organic milk. Kitchen roll. A bunch of hyacinth (dreamy). And a fancy new Dove shower gel that was on spesh. I’m that person that only went in for one thing. My husband says I’m a marketer’s dream.
Who was your teenage crush?
Justin Denton. In a time of curly perms that lad had natural tendrils. And piercing blue eyes. Of course, I was painfully shy so if he even looked in my direction, I blushed profusely. He could draw too. Like really draw. I think that’s why I was so besotted. He became a tattoo artist.
Can you describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
My granny’s apple pie. Molten sweet sauce oozing and bubbling from the slits in the lid. A thick sprinkling of crunchy sugar on a perfectly browned, flaky crust. Drowned in nearly a full tin of evap. If only I could bake.
What’s your favourite tipple? Is it wine, beer – a cask-aged malt?
A Barolo in the winter. And a Pinot Grigio blush or a Cortese with loads of ice in the summer.
If I were to give you a private jet, David Attenborough as a tour guide and a month off work – all expenses paid – where would you go and what or who would you write about – and why?
Please can Sir David surprise me? I’m not that adventurous (creature of habit) but I’m going anywhere he’ll take me and I’ll gladly write about all the astounding things he teaches me.
What’s in your pockets?
I never go anywhere without a packet of tissues. It’s a mammy thing.
Pen and ink, pencil and paper or keyboard and screen? What’s your writing style?
A black PILOT fineliner and a large Pukka pad for concepts. A biro and crappy notepad for scribbling notes alongside Otter. (If it’s a brand new client and we’re meeting in person, I do like to take a ‘posh’ notebook). Once I’ve got the ideas flowing, I’ll use the Mac.
Do you read any blogs or magazines about writing? (And I mean read, not just subscribe to and delete/leave on your desk and recycle?)
Don’t LOL but I’ll make a cuppa and read a magazine for ten minutes while I’m having lunch. I’m not talking Vogue by the way. Whenever I’m in any supermarket or shop, I’m a sucker for picking up one of the freebie mags/newsletters at the till. They contain snippets about all sorts of stuff and there’s so many different writing styles. Quite often, something random will spark an idea. I adore the ‘Love Letters’ piece in Waitrose every month.
Tea – or coffee? What’s your poison?
Both. Tea makes everything better (though I’m a decaf lass). You can’t beat an Earl Grey with cake. And I’ll happily take a latte/cappuccino/flat white/black americano too.
Do you have a favourite cup or mug? Can you describe it?
I’ve got a lovely Oliver Bonas ‘wifey’ mug from my husband which I’m partial to a coffee in. And for tea, it always has to be bone china. The daintiness makes it feel special.
What was your most adored children’s book? And character?
Malory Towers by Enid Blyton. I didn’t have a favourite character (and I couldn’t name one now if you paid me) but that was the start of me being transfixed with the power of words to take you somewhere else in your head.
Your favourite word?
Freckle.
Your most loathed word? (You know, the one that makes you shudder and say “Ew!”?)
Fart. I didn’t even wanna type it. I make the kids say ‘pump’.
Where can we find you? – Browsing online or lost in the aisles of a bookstore?
In the actual shop. I took my 12-year-old son to Waterstone’s recently and he said to me, “I’d like a Saturday job here when I’m older”. My work here is done.
Favourite song lyric of all time? And why?
‘It’s an orchestra of angels
And they’re playing with my heart’
Eurythmics, There Must Be an Angel
What a way to describe being in love.
Name the artist who’s guaranteed to get you up on the dance floor.
UB40, Elvis, and ’90s house.
Do you have any strange writing rituals you’d like to share with us?
Someone gave a talk at CopyCon (for the life of me I can’t remember her name) about setting up your space before you start to work and that really stuck with me. I like to put fresh flowers on my desk and light a candle, and then it feels all homely. But truthfully, I usually end up with deed flowers that annoy me for days/weeks because I haven’t got time to have a wee never mind change the fleurs (see the pic of my desk for case in point – those daffs are on their last legs).
What are you working on today? What’s in the pipeline?
I’ve just finished the narrative for an interior design company. I’m about to start their TOV guidelines. I’ve also got a case study to write for an arts & culture initiative. And I’ve got a website coming up for a company that’s going to take over the world of bin cleaning.
Can you describe the last photograph you took?
A screenshot from Insta of this woman who mixed the jam with the cream in a little bowl before she put it on her scone and it was all swirly and marbly and I’m gonna steal that idea the next time I have a partay. I screengrab stuff all the time in the hope that I’ll go back through my phone at some point and remember to do/make/buy these things. And guess what? I don’t. I just buy more storage.
What piece of advice really changed you as a writer?
One of my past creative directors, David Isaac, told me to always ‘craft the copy’. Years ago, I was working on a brochure and every time I showed him what I’d written, he’d mark up each new version with a red pen, then tell me to go away and craft it. I was so frustrated. I was about ten years into my career by this point and it wasn’t until about the fifteenth version, suddenly the penny dropped. I vividly remember going home via the offie that night because this job is dead hard.
Whenever I write something, I always print it out, read it aloud, and if I can, give it the overnight test, or at least take a break from it and come back to it fresh. You can then spend time editing. To this day, I despise a red pen though.
What was the last thing you wrote that had nothing to do with your job?
I emailed my son’s school to say he’s lost his PE kit. Again.
What’s your favourite quote about the process of writing?
“You can’t be interesting if you don’t have anything interesting to say” which basically means do your research.
Who is your favourite Mad Man – or Woman?
Can you believe I worked in ad agencies for almost 30 years and I’ve never watched it. Shock horror. It’s on my list.
Can you name your favourite film – and tell us why you love it?
‘The Princess Bride’. It’s a satirical take on a fairytale. It’s got everything – drama, fantasy, love (I’m a sucker for romance, “As you wishhhhhhh…”) and comedy (“Inconceivable”). The story’s told through a grandpa reading to his grandson and it’s really heartwarming. The ultimate comfort watch.
Which book or books is/are by your bed today?
I read pure trash most of the time and I’m a dead slow reader. When it’s late at night, I like easy reading that I don’t need to think about. Saying that, I’m almost finished Wuthering Heights (I decided to re-read it after a trip to Haworth last Halloween and it’s a happy coincidence that the movie came out just as I’m nearing the end). Next up is IKIGAI, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life which was a present from my friend, Peggy. Nora Roberts, Inner Harbour is also there because I picked it up in the charity shop. I got bored about five chapters in.
Who was or is your greatest teacher?
John Imrie, my art teacher in sixth form. He helped me put together a portfolio for the graphics course at the School of Art & Design in Newcastle. And that’s how I fell into copywriting because you could specialise in it when I moved on to do an HND in Design Advertising. Without Mr Imrie, I think I’d probably be a librarian – I liked the idea of doing the stamper thingy. It’s a very satisfying sound. The man at the Lit & Phil lets the kids have a shot when we go to change their books.
Who is your favourite artist?
Edgar Degas. I love his nudes. Entirely gorgeous. Swoon. I had a poster that featured ‘Woman Ironing’ that I bought when I was 18 after seeing it at a gallery in Liverpool. It was in one of those shite clip frames. I wanted to reframe it for my utility but can I hell find it in my loft? Gah.
Where do you like to work best – is it at a desk, in an office or in a coffee shop? And would you send us a picture of where the magic happens?
I prefer to be at my desk in my home office.
AI, Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude—your thoughts as at today’s date, please? (Because it will all change in the blink of an eye and – yes – the em dash is deliberate.)
I’ve just used Chatters to plan a family trip and it was canny good to be fair (I had to give it loads of prompts though). But is it coming for my job? No. Because it’s never, ever gonna have a human heart that’s capable of those first-hand feelings and emotions. And it can’t say things like ‘doolally-tap’ in context can it? Just ‘driven’ and ‘woven’ and ‘thrive’ on freakin’ repeat.
And finally, where can this caffeine-fuelled audience find you?
On my website at: mamstheword.co.uk
On Insta @mtwcopy
You can email me at: mamsthewordcopywriter@gmail.com
