ArchivesIt's always a tricky moment, especially if the person asking it is a friend or a volunteer needing a bit of free advice. What's being asked for here? A little light praise or a critical in-depth analysis? I can do either, or both. In fact, I can talk about the rights and wrongs of producing newsletters until the sun sets; it's a very big subject. Trust me. It's one hobby horse that I just love to ride.
And where better to ride it than here? So that's what I'm going to do. Starting soon - some of my favourite top tips and anecdotes about newsletters. Bet you can hardly wait.
[ add comment ] ( 8 views ) |
( 3 / 335 )The sun shines. A crocus opens. But there's another reason why it feels like spring. The Vikings are here.
One of the joys of living in this beautiful city is that York has more than its fair share of festivals - and this week it's the Viking Festival.
There's a huge programme of events as usual. But the one which catches my eye is the Best Beard competition - which, according to the ultra-PC copywriter, invites each entrant to parade "his/her facial hair".
[ 2 comments ] ( 16 views ) |
( 3.1 / 292 )I'm Googling "Val Seddon". Not in a narcissistic way, you understand; just checking out search terms for the refreshed site.
Before you dash off and Google it yourself (perhaps you're having a quiet day), it's important to say that not all those Val Seddons out there are me. I do not have a horse. I have not done many of the things which people with my name are clearly out there doing.
But in 1978 I did write a press release about the International Congress of Space Medicine. That release was picked up by Flight International magazine. Now the magazine has put its archive on line.
What can I say? Except that's one heck of a clever thing for a five year old to have written.
[ 2 comments ] ( 32 views ) |
( 2.9 / 307 )"So now you've got a blog," says the Non-Exec, hovering around behind my chair. (OK, so he brought me coffee: a short hover is allowed.)"What's next? Facebook? Second Life?"
A tiny shard of contempt tinkles on the desk beside me.
"Most writers," I tell him, "already have a second life and often a third. If they're women, they could be managing up to half a dozen. Simultaneously."
And it's true. Writing for a living opens so many doors to such a wonderful rich variety of subjects and situations. Of course, some of those doors have really scary things living behind them. Like the door labelled 'Fiction'; I haven't opened that one for quite a while.
"Why do you need a blog? What are you going to write on it, or should that be in it?Is this supposed to be a business thing?" The Non-Exec is full of penetrating questions. I knew he was here for something.
"Don't know yet," I tell him. Because right now I really don't.
[ add comment ] ( 9 views ) |
( 3 / 305 )So here it is - a brand new shiny blog for Output Communicators, for clients, for friends, for people who rummage around for this sort of thing.
Like a baby, its life could take any direction. That depends on who interacts with it.But speaking of babies, welcome to the world Harrison Alexander Richards, born to my god-daughter and her husband this very day. I write this in a spirit of celebration, but also so that his parents can be totally freaked when they Google their firstborn.
Now I can spend the rest of the day wondering whether I really want to put personal stuff on this blog or if I should stick to strictly vanilla business blurb.
[ 2 comments ] ( 32 views ) |
( 3 / 317 )