David Silverberg, Author at David Silverberg

What Agatha Christie can teach you about developing characters with just one sentence

In this post, I reveal the one line from Christie’s Nemesis that every writer should emulate.

My March/April 2021 journalism and brand work

From Big Data in real estate to predicting where smartphone camera lens technology is heading, I tackled a range of intriguing subjects in the past two months. Isn’t that a key appeal of becoming a freelance writer? Monday’s not like Tuesday, and every week delivers chewy education on whatever topic I’m writing about for my clients. Where can you find my recent work? See below: So You Want To Write? – 6 Ways Being a Journalist Made me a Better Creative Writer For this Canadian blog portal on creative writing, I wanted to share my two passions–journalism and poetry–so other folks in my position can recognize the special opportunity they have. I’ve long regarded journalism as an excellent workshop facilitator for my creative side, and now I was finally able to write about that syncing in a post I may riff off down the road in a deeper longread. Toronto Star – Moses Znaimer’s impressive TV collection Definitely the field reporting highlight of the month, this article asked me to visit Toronto’s Museum of Television, curated by TV impressario Moses Znaimer. I never thought I’d be so fascinated by 60-year-old TVs, but there I was, scribbling down notes as my jaw cartoonishly dropped at some of the iterations that could’ve come out of an Isaac Asimov novel. I hope the fun I had learning about the history of TVs came through in the feature article. BBC News – Smaller and better smartphone cameras are on the way This assignment brought me back to my Digital Journal roots, where I reported on hard tech and digital trends for more than 15 years. I never got too inside-baseball with smartphone camera lenses, though, and this BBC News article gave me a deeper dive into an area of the smartphone that will look and behave very differently five years from now. Local Logic – 7 Ways Data is Energizing the Real Estate Industry As a Deloitte report found, many tech startups venturing into real estate could energize an industry in dire need of modernization. That’s what the got the ball a-rollin for my latest work for Montreal startup Local Logic. Since beginning my contract with them in January, I’ve learned so much about data and real estate, I could write an e-book tomorrow. This is just a glimpse of several avenues I went down, and be on the lookout in the summer for a new series I’m writing for them on the future of cities. ATB – Learning from David Knight Legg at the 2021 Alberta Economic Summit Another round of brand work for ATB saw me cover a recent talk by the CEO of Invest Alberta, so if you’re curious about the Albertan economic landscape and what lies ahead (and who isn’t, really?), then click the link above. Toronto Star – Profiling Toronto’s oldest Jewish congregation, Holy Blossom Temple Another callback to my roots, this Star article had me visiting a synagogue I know from my youth, since I went to Hebrew school around the block from Holy Blossom Temple. It was a treat to see the renos up close and learn about the history and culture of the shul. I also really adore the photos the Star photographer shot for this one.

Watch my webinar on freelance journalism and landing clients

Check out this free webinar I produced for my work-sharing space, focusing on the strategies I bring to my freelance journalism career.

My February 2021 journalism work

Shortest month of the year but busiest one I’ve had since September, thanks to a slew of BBC News assignments and working with two new clients. I made it a goal to develop relationships with a new client every quarter, and so far I’ve been succeeding. I’m excited to write for The Daily Hive and Cannabis Health Magazine in the coming year, along with my usual clients such as BBC News, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, and many more. Where can you find my most recent bylines? See below: Toronto Star – Profile of Avenue Diner, a Yorkville legend since 1944 The Star’s Sunday Life section is all about those feel-good stories, and once again I’m giving readers an inside look at a diner well-known to downtown Toronto heads. The Avenue Diner has always been my go-to spot when I walked to Yorkville when I lived along Dupont. This time, I got a peek behind the counter to reveal all the celebrity connections this spot enjoys, such as Mike Myers coming here for the Canadian bacon he can’t back in L.A. BBC News – Inside the geothermal energy revolution What I love about freelance writing is delving into a topic I’ve long been curious about, and recently I sunk my teeth into geothermal energy. OUCH, that’s sizzling hot! It’s clear geothermal is on the rise, but its cost and poor PR campaigns have stymied it from breakinginto the mainstream. I predict that will change, as I make the case for that upward trend in the BBC News report. Toronto Star – The Leafs-bashing fun-loving owner of Lakeshore Super Submarine This Star assignment has been all smiles, and not just because it was my birthday when I visited George and his sub shop in Etobicoke. The owner is the kind of guy who can’t stop joking, but not in the annoying pun-heavy way. Getting to know George and his motivation for his non-stop focus on running the sub spot was truly inspiring, and hopefully that came through in the article. Cannabis Health Magazine – The medical cannabis guru who wants to pay it forward If you know my journalistic specialties by reading htis blog, you know I’ve been a cannabis reporter for a decade. A new cannabis client on my roster is Cannabis Health Magazine, out of B.C., and I’m excited to write for a new cannabis outlet with top-notch articles and reputable writers. In my debut piece for them, I profile Jack Kungel of Ontario, a medical cannabis advocate whose remarkable life story has recently been captured on camera in a short documentary. The Daily Hive – Toronto fashionista crafts Braille masks for visually challenged It’s funny how you hear about interesting stories. This fashion trailblazer came to me via the Ryerson Alumni newsletter, since she is also a fellow Rye High grad. My journalistic Spidey sense tweaked when I read about Alexa Jovanovic’s clothing line designed with the visually impaired in mind. She brought Braille designs to masks and shirts and jackets, and also involved people with visual disabilities to take part in the creative phases of getting the startup going. Check out a few of the Aille Design pieces below: