Five years ago, as we entered the first Covid lockdown, I wrote a blog (A new language for a new reality) about how quickly our language was evolving to adjust to a new paradigm, which included a lexicon of the new words that we had to start using in our everyday lives. Since then (and even before that), I've written here about how words have consequences. And it seems that the current US … [Read more...] about Who wins when words go to war?
Written word
Let’s be free, joyful and… weird?
I’ve known for a long time that words have consequences. I wrote a blog about it back in 2019, after yet another mass shooting in the US. I wrote another the day after the insurrection in Washington DC on 6th January 2021. And here we are, three months away from the next US election, and again I’m seeing evidence that words really matter. Before announcing that he was not running for … [Read more...] about Let’s be free, joyful and… weird?
As Mum lost her grip on language, I wrote a book about words
In the autumn of 2019, my mum was in serious cognitive decline. She was finding it increasingly difficult to retrieve her memories or find the right words. She had even forgotten the name of the house she’d lived in for 25 years. As she was losing her grip on language, I started reflecting on its power. And that’s when I found this quote, from spiritual teacher Jeff Brown: Words. So powerful. … [Read more...] about As Mum lost her grip on language, I wrote a book about words
Moments from a life less ordinary
It's a simple question: what have you done that few other people have? That was the first sentence in a blog I read last week by one of my favourite American bloggers, an original thinker and non-conformist called Chris Guillebeau. It’s a great hook, so I read on. He noted that, in answer to the question, you might start to list your accomplishments or achievements – but they belong on a … [Read more...] about Moments from a life less ordinary
Why the Olympics symbolise my own triumph over adversity
One of the benefits of writing regular blogs – which I have been doing on and off since December 2011 – is that you can scroll through your archive and get a glimpse into your mindset at particular points in your story. This is what I wrote in June 2012, in the run-up to the London Olympics: “I sense that I’m not alone in feeling that 2012 is a momentous year, one in which people are starting … [Read more...] about Why the Olympics symbolise my own triumph over adversity
How do you take an idea and convert it into a story?
In a recent blog, I shared a range of writing tips and received this comment from Parag Shah, a creative writer: “I observe a lot, I get a lot of ideas, but I struggle with converting them into a story. I hope the challenge I'm facing inspires you to write a blog post on this topic.” So I decided to accept the challenge of addressing Parag’s challenge. As I have said before, anything can be … [Read more...] about How do you take an idea and convert it into a story?