Look out for old stuff from the likes of Nick Kent, Charles Shaar Murray, Paul Morley, Julie Burchill, Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs. Some of it has dated, so don t get too hung up on the past. With It, The Story Of Loaded, by Tim Southwell. There s a great novel called Lonely Planet Boy, by Barney Hoskyns, which is a thinly veiled attack on the NME staff of the 1980s. Short sentences rule.
Adjectives are often unnecessary.
Don t use loads of quotes unless the subject is really famous. Also, allow time around your deadlines to revise your copy. It s always a good move to get some sleep before a final draft, so that your subconscious mind can word on it when you snore. Also, don t believe that a great writer should always be snide and negative. It s the easiest thing in the world to do badly.