Category: Writing Tips

June 2024 Vol 6 Issue 6

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Teaching English as a Second Language
Let us tell your story!

Welcome Mid-June 2024!
As I prepare this issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter,” we have had over a week of grey skies and nourishing rain, punctuated by one or two “thunderplumps,” (downpours of fat, heavy raindrops), as described by English lexicographer (wordsmith extraordinaire), Susie Dent.

Today, though, the sun banished the grey clouds to make weekly activities and errands more pleasant!

With Father’s Day approaching this weekend, I hope you will find some time to spend with family, even if the “great outdoors” may not be as sunny and warm as we’d like.

This mid-June issue of “Tell Your Story Communications” is dedicated to the wonderful complexity and capacity of the English language–something I regularly contemplate, when I teach newcomers.

In “Article One,” this month, I visit the contention (presented by staff writers at “The Economist” that languages (including English) evolve like biological species do. . . . English as a Second Language learners (ESL) take note, if English seems a less-than-straightforward language to you!

And in this month’s issue of “Storytellers’ Corner,” I share 10 “obsolete” words that blogger Julia McCoy thinks we should revive. Then I step back to ask, “why do words matter so much, anyway . . .?”

As summer begins to unfurl, I wish each of you time to relax and recharge–body, mind and spirit–in the company of the family and/or friends you most enjoy.

While Saskatchewan’s northern lakes are a beautiful setting for time with loved ones, her many urban parks are also lovely. Consider Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and even small neighbourhood ones,
such as the G.D. Archibald and Wilson Parks. All are child-friendly.

Which favourite haunts will you visit, this summer?

Enjoy this beautiful season, good readers, so that the prosperity of your relationships and the memories they create will be yours, now and always.

Sincerely yours,
Elizabeth
Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE 1: Do languages evolve like biological species? Staff writers at ‘The Economist’ have an answer . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Amazing, obsolete words in the English dictionary” that we should revive + the bigger picture of why words matter!

SHOP NEWS

ABOUT US

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Article One: Do languages evolve like biological species? Staff writers at “The Economist” have an answer . . .

As readers will know from prior issues of my enewsletter and prior postings of my blog, I often read the writing of a set of staff writers at “The Economist” who adopt the collective name of “Johnson” (after Samuel, himself, the 18th-Century lexicographer and author).

The “Johnson” writers discuss fascinating contemporary aspects of English language and culture with close research into their historical roots.

In one such article, “Johnson” (as I’ll refer to them, hereafter) wrote that Charles Darwin saw that there are parallels between the evolution of languages and that of biological species.

Today, linguists, philologists and lexicographers (e.g. British lexicographer Susie Dent) tell us that languages are developing and changing all the time. Often, intellectuals view these changes as positive or neutral, but not necessarily negative.

New uses of words appear and old ones disappear.

Terms like “doomscrolling” and “mansplaining” and changes to the meaning of words like “epic” and “branding” show evolution, just as other words fall away.

The latter words exist by the thousands, including, for example, “crapulous” (feeling ill from excessive eating or drinking) and “grumpish” (meaning sullen or grumpy). (For more on obsolete words, see “Storytellers’ Corner,” below, this month.)

Contemporary linguists and philologists apply methods from other sciences to try to organize and explain changes in language. This contrasts the past, Johnson says, when “influence once ran the other way,” when “discoveries in linguistic history [left] a mark on evolutionary theory.”

For instance, Johnson cites the late 18th-century British judge, William Jones, stationed in India, who argued that Sanskrit’s similarity to Latin and Greek was not due to “chance.” Jones proposed (more persuasively than his peers) that there was “a parent language,” like a parent species in biology, from
which these other languages were descendants —“Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Persian and other European tongues.”

By the 1830s, Jones’ insight, elaborated upon by philologists who had followed him, was picked up by the young Charles Darwin, who thought that evidence that different languages had evolved from a single parent language required a much longer human history than sourcebooks like The Bible
allowed.

Thirty-five years later, Darwin analyzed the parallel between the development of language and evolution, writing that both were “developed through a gradual process,” that was “curiously the same.” Having observed that changes to language occur over long periods of time, he thought it was
possible that one language had “given birth to both Hindi and English,” as Johnson reports.

The emergence of different species of course occurs both in language and in biology. Darwin found that finches separated on different Galapagos islands developed into different species, and that those who contributed to the survival of the group became prevalent by natural selection. “When
such changes accumulate,” as Darwin argued, you develop “two different species.”

Linguistic populations when separated by distance or physical barriers (e.g. oceans, mountains) have similarly differentiated. Small and random changes to pronunciation or to the meaning or grammar of words may be too small for a tribe to notice them. But as many generations pass, with numerous
neologisms arising from a mix of old syllables and mistakes or irregularities to create new words, native “speakers gradually lose the ability to converse with [one] another—[so] two speciating populations being to lose the ability to mate” (Johnson).

Contemporary linguists and philologists have observed other parallels between evolution and language development. Words, writes Mark Pagel (Reading Univ.), are like genes in being “discrete, heritable unities.”
As “Johnson” says, DNA replicating is like my “language teaching” (ESL) to economic immigrants!

“Physical fossils resemble ancient texts,” Johnson argues. But he notes that there are also differences, the largest of which is that “the chief driver of biological evolution—natural selection—is mostly absent in language.”
Johnson observes that whereas a bad mutation can kill an animal (or human), changes in language aren’t usually fatal.

Words may change meaning not to “avoid a predator, but because they help people communicate.” And new meanings for a word may not pertain to the “fitness” of its meaning or speaker. As Johnson notes, a celebrity’s use of a word may “take off quicker” than an academic (neologist)’s, simply because the celebrity has more followers on “X” or “TikTok.”

Johnson writes that “there is a deep and revealing relationship between linguistic change and biological evolution—along with some [major] differences.”

The final shared feature between these two kinds of evolution is that development is not “a process of ever-increasing sophistication.” Both organisms and languages “change to fit their environments.

They may not always become more refined,” Johnson writes. “But neither are they in decline,” he concludes, despite the ongoing lament of traditionalists (in both fields).

And that gives regular users of language, ESL/TEFL teachers and students alike–not to mention native speakers who resent the effects of immigration–much to contemplate.

And now it’s your turn: What do you think about the parallel of biological for linguistic evolution?
Do you agree or disagree with what their relationship has taught us (as summarized by “Johnson”)?
Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you.

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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Words, Stories, Riddles and Jokes on English Writing and Editing . . .

This month: “Amazing, obsolete words in the English dictionary” that we should revive + the bigger picture of why words matter!

 

In a recent blog posting on expresswriters.com, American copywriter Julia McCoy has collected “30 amazing, obsolete words in the English dictionary we should bring back to life.” McCoy asserts that words in English do have a limited lifespan. Some originate before present-day
English developed, while others have been “completely ditched.”

To keep this column quick to read, I share below just 10 seldom or never-used words that McCoy thinks were “retired” before their time. Then I’ll reflect more broadly on why words matter at all, with help from English lexicographer,
Susie Dent.

(1) “Groak”—means “to watch someone silently, as they eat,” hoping they’ll share with you. (e.g. How can I enjoy my perogies while that woman is groaking me?)

(2) “Snowbrowth”—from the 1590s, it refers to freshly melted snow. (e.g. Last night there was a snowstorm, that blanketed the yard. But now, it’s merely snowbrowth.)

(3) Excogigate—from Latin origins that mean “to bring out by thinking,” this word means “to plot, plan [or] devise,” but not in a linear way. (e.g. What is Bruce excogigating over there?)

(4) Apricity—from the 1620s, this means “when it’s a cold winter’s day, but the sun is gloriously warm.” (e.g. Although temperatures may be -40 degrees Celsius, apricity makes Saskatoon winters bearable.)

(5) Twattle—means “to gossip.” (e.g. Stop twattling and get back to work!)

(6) Elflock—means “if you have wavy hair and you wake up with it tangled and mangled. . . as if elves have tied it into knots during the night.” (e.g. Have you seen the state of his elflocks today?)

(7) “Gorgonize” – from the early 17th Century, means “to have a mesmerizing effect on someone.” (e.g. I was gorgonized by the sight of him, as he entered the room).

(8) “Curgluff”—a Scottish term from the 19th Century, it means an “intense shock.” (e.g. When you plunge into that cold ocean water and want to scream, you’ll experience curgluff!)

(9) “Snoutfair”—a 16th Century term that refers to “a good-looking person.” (e.g. Janet’s new boyfriend is a total snoutfair!)

(10) “Monsterful” —from the 1820s, it means “something rather extraordinary and wonderful. (e.g. The movie was every bit as monsterful as the trailer promised.)

Why do words like these above matter so much? In other reading this month, I learned that psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett has found that having the vocabulary to articulate happy feelings can help us to manage our emotions better.
Similarly, having fun words for sad feelings can make us feel less alone. Words matter and it’s important that anyone who wishes can learn to listen, speak, read and write English well.

In an interview in “The Guardian” newspaper (September 2023), etymologist and lexicographer Susie Dent reports that non-native speakers of English around the world now outnumber native speakers. So there will be many “new Englishes” in these people’s “hands and mouths,” around the world.

Dent sees this positively, not as a threat, saying, “English has always evolved by mistake . . . The example I give is the Jerusalem artichoke, which has nothing to do with Jerusalem and is not even an artichoke. The plant is a heliotrope—it turns toward the sun—but because we couldn’t pronounce the
Italian ‘gira sol,’ we thought ‘Jerusalem’ would do.” She refuses to despair about the future of language or of the world it reflects.

When asked for favourite words, Dent names one that resonates most with me: “respair.” It means “the opposite of despair; it only has one record in the dictionary, and it means to recover from despair.” But, she adds, “it also means hoping for better days around the corner. Having fresh hope
and optimism.”

And now it’s your turn: What do you think of retired words like those McCoy has collected? And do you think changes and growth in the English language are something to “respair” about, as Susie Dent does?

Please write in: I’d be delighted to hear from you!
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SHOP NEWS:

Since the last issue of TYSN, I’m happy to report that a “reconvention” of “Table 32,” from May 15th’s gala of the Women Entrepreneurs of SK (WESK), has occurred!

While some at our table (notably me) did not dress as opulently for the gala as other attendees (thinking, “this is not the Academy Awards” . . . .) and while we laughed about being in the “nosebleed” seats, four of our table’s original six women entrepreneurs happily reconnected last week at Prairie Sun Brewery.

And others sent regrets until we meet again. We plan to reconvene to support each other’s businesses by sharing referrals, resources and strategies
for living our best lives.

Now that’s what I call networking!

Thanks to Suzanne Anton, Keshia Gamola and Sandra Miller for returning to the metaphorical table; Annie Charles, Kristen Pierce , Aimee Brown and some new entrepreneurial “sisters” will likely join us in August!
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As summer transforms our yards, gardens and minds, many Saskatchewanian entrepreneurs head to one of the province’s 100,000 lakes or travel out-of-province to see family and friends. In both cases, you may find yourself wishing for a local food or artistic product to enrich a meal or as a
housewarming gift.

When seeking just that, I was delighted recently to revisit Sask-Made Marketplace at 8th Street and Louise Avenue (Louis the 8th Mall). I was impressed to find a much larger range of inventory than earlier existed, in pre-pandemic times.

Last week, for instance, I particularly appreciated Grassland Greens’ microgreens, several varieties of bison meat, photographs by Debra Marshall, local paintings and pottery from several Saskatchewan artists, fruit products and syrups (including those made with local haskap berries),
handmade jewellery, beeswax candles, alpaca products and more . . . .
And the staff were welcoming and cheerful.

If you haven’t visited Sask-Made Marketplace recently, do please consider visiting soon!

Some of their many food products are available in small sizes (under 100 ml), accepted by airport security, if you find yourself flying this summer.
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Special thanks to Marketing Maverick (and CEO of “TrustedSaskatoon”), Sara Wheelwright, for thoroughly reviewing my website and social marketing last month, as I work on promoting my ESL teaching services. . . .

Sara’s marketing prowess helped identify key areas for development: Thank you, Sara! And similarly, another thanks goes to Toronto designer, Oliver Sutherns, who has helped me to perform numerous edits that are deepening my entrepreneurial reach.

I recommend both Sara and Oliver for marketing and design work, respectively; and I encourage you to reach out them directly.
They are extraordinary!
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I’m especially pleased to share that my 10+ year old writers’ group, “Saskatoon Freelancers’ Roundtable,” has submitted our fourth and final collective article in the “Ask a Writers’ Group” series, for this year’s quarterly issues of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild magazine (SWG), “Freelance.”

In all, Ashleigh Mattern, Julie Barnes, Adele Paul, Ashlyn George and I have co-authored four articles on topics such as time management, how to find clients, writerly resources and more. Each of us (when available) has taken a turn at editing these group articles for SWG’s online magazine.

“Freelance” magazine’s publications coordinator, Sheila Fehr, has responded warmly to our contributions and it’s been lovely to see them in digital format!

Special thanks to Ashleigh Mattern for managing correspondence, negotiating the contract for the series and for submitting the article I edited, on my behalf.
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Alumni (or “alum” as some prefer) of the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship (PSE), take note: You are warmly invited to attend a late summer potluck lunch at the PSE’s downtown office (131 Wall Street). Date: TBA–soon!

Camaraderie, friendships and business contracts have all transpired from alumni networking. And working on the PSE alumni directory still interests many of us.

Rumour has it (haha!) that alum Barry Frain, Megan Kent, Christina Cherneskey, Jolene Watson, Sheridan Trusty and Cody Demarais (frequent PSE flyers) may attend, bringing some favourite cooking to share.

Stay tuned to this newsletter (and upcoming blog issues) for details!
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AND . . . if you, or someone you know, is wanting to start–or grow–a business in SK, please get in  touch with the PSE’s Administrator, Elaine Mantyka; or Coordinator, Silvana Cracogna; at (306) 664-0500 or by email at info@globainfobrokers.ca

Funding opportunities are available, as are accommodations for entrepreneurs with differing abilities. PSE Chief Visionary Office Monica Kreuger, and Chief Facilitator Deanna Litz will transform how you think about entrepreneurship–and life!

Intake occurs regularly, but seats fill up quickly. So contact the PSE—NOW!
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Thank you to some of my ESL students, past and present, including William Wang, Eliane Gaume,  Maryna Kostiuk and to former mentor, Mahmoud Allouch, for providing testimonials for my ESL teaching services that I recently uploaded to my website.

Reading these individuals’ reviews is both humbling and encouraging.

Thank you to each of you!

Do you have news to share on topics of language and communication or on entrepreneurship in Saskatoon (and surrounding areas)?
Please reach out to me and I’ll try to include it in a future issue!

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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help economic immigrants get better jobs or secure larger contracts by improving their language skills; and I also write and edit the legacy stories of individuals and major companies.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant website. After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!

Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca) .

 

 

February 2024 Vol 6 Issue 2

 

 

 

 

 

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):

Specializing in Linguistic and Entrepreneurial Storytelling

Let me teach you to tell your story!

 

 

Welcome Mid-February, 2024!

Happy Mid-February, good readers! Chinese (Lunar) New Year (February 10th)  and Valentine’s Day (February 14th) have just passed (for many, with joy), as I revise this issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter.”

Canadians who have lived all our lives according to the Gregorian calendar sometimes forget (as Google reminds us) that there are about 40 calendars at use in the world today. Of these, ours (the Gregorian) and six others are most commonly used– Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Chinese, Julian and Persian.

Out of that collection, I am blessed to have family, friends and colleagues in Canada or overseas who follow the Jewish, Chinese and Persian calendars: The others, I will work on! But last Saturday’s Chinese New Year was celebrated globally by more than 1.5 Billion people, of whom about 1.7 Million live in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2021). A few of them are, to my excitement, studying English with me.

As a second generation, part-Chinese/part-English Canadian, at Lunar New Year I observe the holiday by taking the time to reconnect with my Chinese cousins, who don’t mind updating me (in English) on their lives and celebrations. (Learning Mandarin is a late life goal for me.)

I was pleased to learn last weekend that they are all well, and had prepared dumplings and other Chinese delicacies to enjoy. Those who are retired said ruefully that they’d like to study English (ESL) with me, as newcomers do, because their living in a mostly Chinese-speaking diaspora in BC is causing them to “lose their English.”

And in recent years, one language that is increasingly connecting us all (despite linguistic differences) is, of course, Artificial Intelligence (AI)–now very much here to stay.

AI, as most copywriters know, offers us unparalleled access to human and machine learning, including the many responsibilities and ethical concerns inherent in that.

In this context of global AI (this “brave new world”), in “Article One,” I share insights of Anglo-Canadian copywriter, Nick Usborne, on our unwavering need for emotional intelligence (EI or EQ). Usborne’s insights may not be entirely new, but are worth weighing in our minds, as he directs us toward innovation and depth.

In “Storytellers’ Corner,” I share some tips on how to make writing (of any kind) more fun, from Vancouver writer and publication coach, Daphne Gray-Grant.

In “Shop News,” I share thanks and acknowledge those many folk in my entrepreneurial and community circle who provide as much support and affirmation as they may seek (and usually more).

And given that the darkest months of the Gregorian calendar are now nearly over, I commend you, good readers, for weathering this eccentric winter in SK–with its late start; extreme dryness; isolated days of intensive cold, followed by unseasonable warmth; freezing rain, etc.

Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year remind us that (we hope) we’re nearing the end of another winter on the Prairies. And in today’s glorious, Saskatchewan sunshine, that gives us even more reason to celebrate!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Shih

Principal

Storytelling Communications

www.elizabethshih.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE 1: How can writing with EI enrich your life (with Nick Usborne)

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:

How to make writing more fun (with Daphne Gray-Grant)

SHOP NEWS

ABOUT US

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Article One: How writing with EI enriches your life (with Nick Usborne) It’s certainly true that I now spend most of my working hours, each week, teaching English to newcomer entrepreneurs and economic immigrants. I love the work; teaching ESL has become a very satisfying arm of my services as a communications specialist. But as part of my journey as a teacher and communicator, I continue to write and recently have been studying Anglo-Canadian, Montreal-based copywriter Nick Usborne’s course on applications of AI to the field of copywriting. Usborne calls the course “Future-Proof Copywriting,” and it explores Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence and how to combine the two. I’ll share more of my learnings in upcoming issues. But I was intrigued that as hard-hitting and experienced a B2B copywriter as Usborne is, he continues to argue that Emotional Intelligence can “enrich your life,” when we make room for it, in our applications of AI. Although I’ll address applications of AI further in future months, this month I want simply to recall Usborne’s insight that there are essentially three ways that EI can make your copywriting persuasive, and even “enrich your life”: (1)  He says that copywriters find self-empowerment through emotional connection. So if you take the trouble to get to know your audience and understand their feelings (needs, wants, “pain points”), you’ll be able to feel genuine empathy for your readers. When you feel that empathy, you’re not just a writer communicating with an audience, but a genuine human being who is “reaching out and connecting with other real people.” This is not as “touchy-feely” as some might think. First, Usborne says, when writers reach out to their readers, readers sense that their feelings are perceived and validated. Readers feel noticed and that shared emotional connection powerfully motivates them to buy from you. Secondly, by connecting emotionally with your target audience, you as a writer will feel empowered and in a position to genuinely help your readers. You can take value (and feel good) in knowing that your work matters to others. You are not merely facilitating a grim economic exchange, as in Dicken’s England of the 1840s and 50s). (2) Emotional Intelligence or awareness allows you as a writer to find creative fulfillment. I think of some 13 years I’ve spent, crafting blog postings and newsletter articles, especially on concepts of entrepreneurial wellness. AI now outpaces us in this niche, but without EI, copywriters would not know how to assess and refine AI-derived content. Writing that involves emotion refuses to be contained by a formula or template. The latter are not creative, Usborne argues, but are “the writing equivalent of painting by numbers.” When you simply follow a template, you won’t feel emotionally engaged because you’re not creating anything new (or, at least, you must strive to reflect an iota of new thinking or possibility). But when you break a standard mold or template by tapping into the power of EI, Usborne says, you’ll find that you “can create a narrative that truly speaks to [your prospects]: Maybe I’ll share a story, or lead with a metaphor. . . . I’ll be creating something new, a new way to engage with my audience more deeply.” That deeper act of creating is fulfilling, Usborne says. It’s like colouring with crayons, after seeing many pages of only black and white. “Writing with a high level of emotional intelligence is much more rewarding than following rules or templates,” he writes. (3) Because copywriters since David Ogilvy’s pioneering days have sometimes failed to connect emotionally and creatively with their readers and work, we can often feel “discouraged” about our work, that we are only (Dickensian) hacks, striving, Usborne says, to “sell stuff with words.” He recalls sharing that discouragement when chatting with a former client over a beer, many years ago. Usborne’s copy had resulted in the hiring of two new staff, had a huge jump in sales and much enriched company insight—such had been the difference his writing made. But he was the last to know it, in part since his emotions were not engaged in the work (and also that his clients hadn’t thanked him enough). But when you tap into EI, as Usborne advocates, you’ll find a “deeper level of purpose.” The first step to develop EI is to think more about the people who will read your copy. How can you engage with clients/readers at a more meaningful level? Then, when you apply your EI to your copywriting mix, you’ll harness AI’s ChatGPT, GPT-4 and/or Google Bard. Using EI will feed those “large language models” (LLMs) effective prompts, and elicit potentially great responses, at a speed that outpaces what we could do, alone. Usborne has elsewhere suggested that your own EI will make you more attuned to revising, fact-checking (e.g. snopes.com) and improving upon the provisional draft that AI produces. You’ll seek out ways to weave emotionally rich content into the copy that engages with your reader better than AI can currently do, alone. You’ll cut out the “hallucinations” that AI sometimes makes, where a large language model (LLM) perceives patterns of objects that do not exist or cannot be perceived by human observers, resulting in nonsense or mistakes. So, combining EI with AI is hugely important to the field, and wisely foundational to Usborne’s course, Future-Proof Copywriting. He says that “empathy isn’t easy but it’s probably the best thing you can contribute to any kind of relationship.” Very important, further, is the truth that the more academic or business psychology you read (e.g.s. Adam Grant, Seth Godin, Brene Brown and Simon Sinek) to prompt AI, the deeper you will leverage it  to go, far beyond basic empathy:  For instance, consider the subtler research and writing of “self-compassion” (by Kristin Neff) and of  “empathic attunement” (by Clayton Rowe and David MacIsaac). Combining EI and AI will render your writing more persuasive and powerful to your readers than ever before. That fulfills Usborne’s prediction that EI won’t only improve copywriters’ morale and better sell our products or services, but will also greatly improve on (even “enlighten”) our clients’ lives. And for that, they’ll keep returning to us, freeing informed copywriters from fears of our vocational demise. And how it’s your turn. Do you agree with Nick Usborne that writing with EI can enrich readers’ and copywriters’ lives? Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you.

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: 

How to make writing more FUN (with Daphne Grant). . .   

Whatever kind of writing you may be doing (or perhaps  wanting to produce by adapting AI), Vancouver-based publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant says that we all need to make writing “more fun” in our lives. That can happen when we make it less challenging, frustrating and even boring, than it may currently be! She shared these seven tips:

(1) Sketch out your ideas on a “mindmap,” so you don’t feel the overwhelm of a blank page! Think of your mindmap as a slate for brainstorming your ideas, that you can establish in point-form, illustrate and even physically connect, before you start to write! (It would be wise to start here, as a way to formulate prompts you might then feed to AI.)

(2) Don’t write for too long, each day. Gray-Grant suggests starting with 10 or 15 mins, unless you have a very short due date coming. (And try to avoid procrastination that can lead to that dilemma).

(3)Write, revise and edit with some music in the background—but not music with lyrics. She suggests “Coffitivity,” which has a free app that provides the white noise of a morning murmur, lunchtime lounge, or university undertones. Some writers similarly use “sound boxes” which often feature calming tones like rain on a tin roof, waves breaking on the shore, etc. When no lyrics are involved, writers often find having simple background noise can help the creative process.

(4)   Write in different places, especially if you have a room with high ceilings, which makes it easier to be creative.

(5)   Think while you walk, and dictate into your smartphone. Gray-Grant says that your voice will keep up with your brain more than your fingers can (by typing).

(6)   Reward yourself, when you’ve done some significant writing. Try to avoid eating/food rewards, but you might enjoy a specialty tea or coffee; a new magazine; permission to read for 45 mins a new book you’re interested in; a telephone call with a good friend; a bath or a long shower; a walk in the park or nature; window shopping someplace you like; listening to some favourite music; watching a show on Netflix or BritBox; listening to a favourite podcast, and so on.

Variety can stimulate creativity.

(7)   Don’t get obsessed with needing to be original, which is harder to achieve than many realize (and an issue intensified by AI!). Gray-Grant cites Salvador Dali, saying, “Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.”

I would add–don’t be afraid to tap into AI, but also be sure to review, revise and correct what it gives you.

It’s not foolish, ignorant or dilettantish to want to make writing fun. If you enjoy the process enough, Gray-Grant concludes, “you’ll do it more often and you’ll get much better at it.”

Now, who would argue with that?

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SHOP NEWS:

Thanks and kudos this month to the staff at Luther Heights Intermediate Care Home, who take care of my elderly mother and many others, too, with empathy and kindness. It is a blessing to be able to trust those who are professional caregivers to support our dear family members in their late-life journeys.

Do you know anyone (or a relative of a friend or contact) who is facing a lengthy (or permanent) hospital or care home stay? Would you please consider making some time this late winter to visit them, even if only for 20 or 30 minutes?

I have witnessed, firsthand, how such folk benefit from a visit and gentle conversation. Each of us can bring comfort and joy (and sometimes, just a healthy distraction) to those who may feel they have lost their homes or loved ones.

Thank you for remembering these beautiful souls in our community!

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My spirits as a teacher and writer are regularly buoyed (in these globally troubled times) by many local friends.

This month, I particularly want to thank Laura Van Loon (St. Andrew’s Parish Nurse); Monica Kreuger (Chief  Visionary Officer, Praxis School of Entrepreneurship and mentor extraordinaire through the Raj Manek Mentorship Program);  Lesley-Anne McLeod (Regency novelist and social historian, at lesleyannemcleod.com); Steve Cavan (Classicist, Philosopher and ESL teacher); William Wang (Director of China Offices, Government of Alberta); Deanna Litz, (entrepreneurial facilitator and brilliant coach, Powerful Nature Coaching & Consulting Inc.); Rev. Roberto DeSandoli (Minister of Word and Sacrament, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church); Julie Barnes (professional writer and music agent); Ashleigh Mattern (writer, storyteller and marketer); Erin Watson (librarian, College of Medicine, U of S);  Dani Van Driel (former Director, Action Battery, now transitional developer for its emergence as a larger, nation-wide company); Martha Fergusson (amazing director of Christian Education, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church); Angela Jamieson (a friend from high school days who now leads “Angela Jamieson Transformational Life Consulting”) and Kanchan Manek, the tireless Director of the Raj Manek Mentorship Program.

And I look forward soon to visiting the brilliant and always lovely entrepreneur, principled community leader, insightful board director and property developer, Silvia Martini.

From our network of women entrepreneurs last Christmas, Silvia and I chose to share an in-person visit, which I anticipate with delight.

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When waters get choppy around issues like the  state of publicly funded health and senior care in the province (and country); and around concerns like the ethical use of social media and AI, the above friends, as well as amazing community leaders and colleagues like Sara Wheelwright and Katrina German, testify to their  values by their testimonies and conversation–whether spoken or written.

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Thanks to friends and colleagues at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for bearing witness to our province’s inadequate LTC system for seniors (and beyond).

As new community members find their parents and grandparents aging without adequate health care and subsidized housing, St. Andrew’s members can listen, share experience, advocacy and compassion.

Particular thanks go to Rev. Roberto and Heather De Sandoli, Patti Polowick, Alan Ireland, Martha and Dean Fergusson and Heather Kolojay.

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Finally, I’m delighted to partly write, fully revise and edit a collaborative article on the topic of “writerly resources” for the summer 2024 issue of “The Freelancer,” a quarterly ezine of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild (SWG).

Many thanks to collaborators (winking co-conspirators!) Ashleigh Mattern, Julie Barnes, Adele Paul and Ashlyn George, for sharing their contributions with me.

The article currently under development is one of a series, called “Ask a Writers’ Group,” that I’ve shared with these gifted and hardworking women.

We collectively share 50+ years of experience as creative and business writers in Saskatoon.

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Merci beaucoup, mes amies!

There are always more businesses to promote and people to thank. But for now, this is a wrap on mid-February! 

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ABOUT US: Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country. Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I  now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs or secure better contracts by improving their English skills; I help SMEs close more sales by communicating more effectively; and I write the legacy stories of major companies. Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant website (www.elizabethshih.com). After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you! Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca).