Leaders and Stories: Growing the Next Generation, Conveying Values, and Shaping Character How senior government practitioners can use their experience and leadership stories as mentors, coaches, teachers, and exemplars to help grow other leaders. A leadership generation in the public service will shortly pass the baton, but few freshly-prepared leaders are ready to run the next leg of the race....

Living Stories Stories when told by talented storyteller can become alive for the listeners and evoke vivid images in their minds as well as strong emotions. Well told stories can make people cringe in fright, cry tears of joy or sadness and motive the dullest person. Some stories can even take on a life of their own and come back to haunt you. This happened to me at least once. In the 1980’s I ...

Life, Passion… Deadline The Conclusion of the 8-Part BRING YOUR NOVEL TO LIFE Series You’re ready to write the story of your life. You’ve put your heart and soul into it. • Your themes resonate with you, and they’re the core of the novel. • You’ve hidden them so well you’ll write a story, not a message. • You’re willing to write honestly, knowing you can’t please everyone, but you’ll reach th...

Life After Rejections As writers, rejection is a hand we have to shake often. When you are at the beginning of your freelance writing career, and receive rejections, it is hard not to turn up your eyeballs and wail. Here, you had written this wonderful article or poem, and no one appreciated you. Sniff! But if you are looking to be a working writer, get real. Experienced writers get rejections t...

Letters of Reference – Writing Tips and Strategies In addition to standard letter-writing dos and don’ts, there are a number of basic guidelines that apply specifically to most situations related to the writing of letters of reference. These are usually more “situational” than “how-to” in nature. These reference letter guidelines are important to both note and apply, since writing letters of ref...

Letters of Reference – Writing Power Phrases As a result of writing literally hundreds of letters of reference over the years, I am aware that there are certain common elements and approaches that are applicable to almost all such letters. If you look closely at most reference and recommendation letters you will notice that there are certain “types” of phrases that recur over and over again, thr...

Let Them Rest! Overworked Phrases and Story Elements At one time, they were clever. That’s why clichés catch on. Problem is, by the time they do catch on, writers have to work harder to avoid them. When you attempt to describe something that’s flat, the first thought that comes to mind is probably “flat as a pancake.” Something that’s smooth?  “Smooth as a baby’s bottom.” An ugly old theatre tha...

Learning to Learn Strange as it seems, during my 16 years as a student, not one of my teachers discussed how to learn. Are you as interested in learning as me? LEARNING IS NATURAL – BUT NEEDS YOUR HELP For humans, learning is as natural and as automatic as breathing. But that doesn’t mean there’s no benefit to thinking about it. In fact, research on learning is now advancing and important assum...

Learning How To Write As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think in Spanish. Skip the word-by-word translation so I’d have the necessary speed to speak and listen. I know words in Spanish that I’d be hard pressed to translate. Usually profanity, I confess. Chingow! For years my students here in China have studied grammar, and know it better than you or I. They read. They write. But speaking i...