It started with a dry cough. Patient zero was found in China. The virus was highly infectious. Experts talked about contact tracing, social distancing and the importance of hand-washing. There were asymptomatic carriers. Schools were closed. There was panic buying. Conspiracy theories. Misinformation. Fake and untested cures. Emergency hospitals in sports arenas... No, I’m not telling the story … [Read more...] about Why we need the C-19 story to give us a symbol of hope
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A new language for a new reality
Since I put myself in voluntary isolation on 14th March, I have been quietly observing the unfolding paradigm shift. And yes, that’s what I believe is happening right now. I’m not here to judge other people’s behaviour. My contribution is specifically about language - something I have been delving deeper into during the past year. It has been fascinating to observe just how quickly a … [Read more...] about A new language for a new reality
Mind your language: words have consequences
Words can be weapons or bringers of beauty. We have recently seen ample evidence of the former, after two mass shootings took place in the US within 24 hours. The perpetrator of the El Paso shooting seemed to be inspired by Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants “invading” America. Put those three words into a Google News search and you may be astonished at how many results come … [Read more...] about Mind your language: words have consequences
What the parsnip does it all mean?
I've always been fascinated by synchronicity – events that have no causal relationship but seem to be meaningfully related. Last week, a friend came over to my place to give me cooking lessons. What? Cooking lessons? At my age?!? Yep. It has long been a source of shame and guilt that I hardly ever cook anything from scratch. I moved into my new flat in March and, until my friend visited, had … [Read more...] about What the parsnip does it all mean?
Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
In my last blog, I traced the development of my writing voice by looking back at the first reviews I wrote for the music paper Sounds. If you haven’t read it yet, click here. I identified eight learnings about how you might find your voice in the written word, which I’m now going to dig into in more detail. NB: These learnings apply to fiction and non-fiction, but please note I am not a … [Read more...] about Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
How did I develop my voice as a writer?
I often refer to myself as “the accidental journalist”. Becoming a professional writer wasn’t part of my career plan. I had trained to be a secretary, and that’s what I was – until I started working for the editor of Sounds, a rock music paper, and a year later found myself writing my first gig review and having it published under my pen name, Betty Page. I benefited from the “anyone can do it” … [Read more...] about How did I develop my voice as a writer?