They say that an elephant never forgets. Lately, I wish that the same could be said about me. While on a lunchtime outing, my iPhone buzzed me with a meeting reminder. I sat and stared at it for several seconds. Was this the original meeting that I subsequently rescheduled for another day, or was this [...]
Clarifying Complex Ideas
Category Archives: writing
Branding a Nonprofit
I’ve been involved in countless branding and rebranding projects with various corporations, but most have involved high-priced agencies setting guidelines while those of us on the ground try to finesse them in real-world applications. But it’s rare to have the opportunity to be involved in a branding and messaging project from the ground floor. That’s [...]
All or Nothing
Freelance work is inherently cyclical. Colleagues in corporate jobs often ask if the cycles make me crazy. The answer is no, but that answer has come with time and experience. Rather than fight the cycles and worry about when they will start or end, I’ve learned to relax and ride it out.
January is a mad [...]
A Science Geek In a Liberal Arts World (Or is it the other way around?)
In spite of my natural inclinations toward science, math and all things that public school kids deem to be geeky, I somehow ended up as a professional writer and editor. It was as much of a shock to me as it was to anyone. I went to college thinking that I’d be a [...]
Evolving Language
As I was reading this article about how half of the world’s languages are in danger of dying out, I started thinking about just how much the English language has changed and evolved, a language spoken by nearly half a billion people every day.
I’m not talking about the changes since Shakespeare’s time, with phrases like [...]
What I Learned on Vacation
We have a habit of vacationing at Christmas. This year, thanks to Alaska Airlines’ direct service from Oakland to Kona, it didn’t take much arm-twisting to convince us that the Big Island was the way to go. It was, of course, fantastic to be away, but this vacation also taught me some valuable lessons.
Revelation 1: [...]
The Pen That I Love
I’ve seen lots of ads for the Uni-Ball 207 pen, all focused on prevention of check fraud. What they never seem to mention is that these pens are really great to write with. The ink flows nicely without smearing, and the specialty colors are vibrant and fun.
The orange pen, in particular, is fantastic. It’s as [...]
Another 40: Days 22-32
Yes, I’ve been terrible about following through on the documentation of this 40-day challenge. Since we last spoke, I went on vacation. For anyone who wonders if they should skip the hoopla of the holidays and head for the tropics, my answer is an unequivocal yes.
In the course of a week, I read a 500-page [...]
Giving 128%
I crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line with flying colors — 128% of quota — and yet the win has never been less satisfying. I ended with approximately 528 words of quality fiction, but I certainly didn’t end with anything close to what you might call a novel.
As I think about it, the 528 words might [...]
Blowing Past the Halfway Point
I have amazing time management skills when I’m crazy busy. Only 20 minutes between the completion of this revision and my next conference call? Fill the gap with NaNoWriMo! Using this method of zero down time, I’ve plowed ahead with random fictional passages, jumping across that mythical halfway point and ending up at 67% by [...]
