Company
Histories Need Not Be Dull Reads
November 30, 2011
As a Social Studies teacher I think I'm pretty good at distinguishing
interesting historical stories from dull textbooks. Students who
dislike studying history typically are unhappy with the presentation of
past events as a long list of dates, facts and dry information. That's
why I like to break apart the word "history" and explain that the "h"
and the "i" stand for human
interest and then you add on story and you get history!
Corporate histories, unfortunately, are often dull and boring. If you
are in the position of preserving company history do yourself a favor.
Find the interesting stories behind the company's birth and
development. Avoid churning out corporate history that sounds, well,
corporate.
Writing Corporate History, an article by Amanda Lynch for Writers
Digest, provides insight from freelance writer Jack El-Hai. He's done
many corporate histories and while he acknowledges the challenges he
also emphasizes the importance of the stories of the people behind the
businesses. | more here |
Journal
Software Real Bargain on Cyber Monday
November 28, 2011
The days following Thanksgiving have become known for shopping
bargains. Naturally retailers want to cash in on the holiday shopping
season. So there's Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving when the
stores have deep discounts. The past couple of years they've stretched
to "crack of dawn" openings and many even opened at midnight on
Thursday night this year.
But the monday after Thanksgiving has become an
even bigger shopping
day for online sales. There isn't much time left, but if you are a
believer in keeping a journal (a great tool for life story writing and
many other great
reasons) then you should certainly take a look at what The Journal has to offer. It's
really an incredible software tool that I use for many purposes. It's
more than "diary software". There are various packages to meet needs
from school to spiritual development to chronicling life changing
events, creative writing and much more. And it's discounted 30% right now!
Is
Your Family History Worth Reading?
November 17, 2011
Many people like the idea of preserving some family history in a book.
If you do will it be interesting and rewarding reading? It will if you
follow some basic tips before
the writing process.
Lead with an interesting story. You don't have to start with
basic
so and so" was born on this day and other important, but not riveting
data. What was unique or special about the birthdate? For instance, in
my family my dad was born on Christmas Day, my mom the day after
Christmas and then the first child (my older sister) was born on
Christmas Eve! That's a conversation starter. You toss in that I was
supposed to be born on Christmas, too, but came a bit early on December
15 and you wonder how it is possible for this congruence of Christmas
time birthdays in one family.
There are other great little tips and I've rarely seem them presented
in one article as well as I have with the Write a Family History Worth
Reading article by Sunny Morton online courtesy of LDSLiving Magazine.
Post
11-11-11
November 14, 2011
This past Friday the calendar gave us one of those quirky number
alignments - 11/11/11. We've been getting such a treat once a year the
past ten years. Next year we get to have December 12 fall on 12/12/12.
At any rate, I hope you remembered it was Veteran's Day and thanked any
veterans you know for their service. If you haven't investigated the
great opportunity to preserve the stories of our vets in the US, check
out the Veterans History
Project (here).
11/11/11 was also a special day for the One Day on Earth Project.
People from around the world recorded something happening in their
lives on that day, much like they did last year on 10/10/10. My Social
Studies 6th grade class has been working on an original song that we
recorded that day. It was fun. You will be amazed to discover all the One Day on Earth Project
is about (including the soon to be released
major motion picture documentary) by visiting their website.
Being
Present to the Present
November 7, 2011
I just returned yesterday from a weekend getaway, a mens retreat that
I've been to before many times. We gather in Tohatchi, New Mexico. This
is about twenty miles north of Gallup on the Navajo Reservation. It is
always a very spiritual time and great fellowship with guys I've known
for years. We are sharing a similar "path" and life journey and taking
the time away from my busy schedule was well worth it.
Sure, now I am back to the hustle and bustle of another week. But I
have perspective again and I recognize the gift of being present to the
present.
A
Fine Example of Memoir Writing from Novelist Walter Mosley
November 3, 2011
Walter Mosley has written and published 30 novels, quite an amazing
accomplishment
for any writer. Now you get a poignant peek into his childhood with a
recollection of his earliest memories growing up in Los Angeles by
reading the personal history essay he wrote for the New York Times - here.
