Writing Machine Academy

Our Story

Where it all began

A fresh-faced Paul Ayling is working for the leading global PR firm Text100. In addition to his work with Tektronix, Systems Union, Wang and DEC, he is heavily involved in the UK launch of Word 1.0 for DOS from a little-known start-up called Microsoft.

It is during the course of this work that he discovers a clever structuring tool built into Word, called Outline View. This sparks Paul’s imagination, and sows the very first seeds of what is to become the Structured Writing Method™.

Starting up

Paul takes the leap from Text100 and London to set up his own agency in Winchester: Writing Machine. It is the UK’s first agency specialising in message-based copywriting and editorial consultancy, and at the heart of all projects is an early version of his Structured Writing Method. Clients send and receive projects by post and fax, but writing is – of course – done in an early version of Microsoft Word’s Outline View.