Twittering
I finally signed up for Twitter. I avoided it until now since I already have so many things demanding my attention. But, I needed something to write about for my column and I’d been hearing how great it is for small businesses. I decided to find out for myself. Signing up wasn’t too difficult, although all the names I wanted were already taken. The problem came after I signed up when I was faced with a little box demanding a brilliant statement in fewer than 140 words. Seldom am I at a loss for words, but this was intimidating....
read moreSaving the Economy
On a recent morning, I was so stressed out that I found myself lost in the cleaning aisle of Target. Overwhelmed by the options of disposable dusting cloths, I called my husband. His advice? Go running. Forget cleaning, get some exercise. Good idea. I headed home, eager to get into my running togs and take off. Then it occured to me, I don’t really have any running togs. The closest thing I have to running shoes are a sneakers I bought at a discount store three (four?) years ago. My stop watch stopped working at least six months ago....
read moreNote to self: life was crazy then too
An email unexpectedly popped up in my inbox the other day. It was from myself. Or at least the self I was a year ago. It was a reminder to me that at that time I  was pondering about what to do with the writing business, struggling with teenage angst (that of my children, not my own, thankfully), and trying to soak up the joyful wonder of the little ones who still think I’m the best mom in the whole world. It was sent via futureme.org, a website dedicated to helping people reach ahead through time to the person they are going to...
read moreDeadline Has a New Definition
Deadline means different things to  many people. For my husband it is getting things accomplished at whatever cost as long as it is complete by his mental deadline. For a writer, the word deadline is the line you draw in your head and avoid stepping over regardless of how many nights of sleep you have missed. For a reporter writing for a weekly newspaper it is the most stressful day of the week when all of your hardwork comes down to one day. When writing for a daily publication it is the time stamp etched in your mind. You know just how...
read morePerspectives
I had the delightful experience of bringing my three-year-old daughter on the train into Boston the other day. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She is delighted to see all the people and make comments about them, although sometimes a little too loudly. Yes, man does look like a beach ball, but shh… Her excitement reminded me of my first train trips, when I came to Boston fresh out of college. I grew up in America’s Dairy Land where there are no subways and only limited public transportation. It was pretty much horse and buggy or beat...
read moreWorse than Writer’s Block
There is a condition that happens to writers, an illness that grips their very souls. It’s even more horrible than writer’s block, which involves sitting at a blank screen with no words coming to mind. In that debilitating state a writer feels useless. No, worse – impotent. You know there is much to be said but you can’t figure out what to say. Even if you can write a sentence, you’re sure no one would want to read it. This is generally not my problem. I am rarely at a loss for words (whether or not anyone wants...
read moreFor whom do you write?
Way back in 7th grade, my elderly English teacher told us to think about our audience before we started writing. I didn’t really understand that exercise since obviously she was the only one who would read it. But she had a point. It helps when you write to think about one person who will read your piece. Imagine that you are writing for just one person. It may help to think about a real person. When I was a reporter, I would think about my grandmother. How would I make the story interesting to her? What details would interest her?...
read moreIntroducing the Excellent Writers Group
Good writing starts with good questions. We have a natural curiosity about the world that led us into the world of journalism. As reporters, we honed our skills, learning how to gather information and sift through it to find the facts and details that will grab a readers attention and make them interested in a very important story – your story. Whether you need to get the word out about a project, influence public opinion or highlight a new executive, we can help you define your story and make it compelling. We work with you to tell...
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