Whilst short stories have been around and popular for some time, in today's fast paced world there's increasing interest in reading and writing ultra short stories. They're quick to read and require no committment  - you don't need to invest or become emotionally involved like you can do with a novel. They're accessible too, and and can be enjoyed on your phone or Kindle, or on your PC at work duing your lunch hour.

Flash-fiction is about creating bite-sized stories that are easily digestible for readers and fun to write.

Whilst the word count for flash-fiction tends to be under a thousand words, generally a lot less, as with anything in life there are varying views on what determines a flash-fiction piece. 

As long as it's short, has a fantastic opening and a satisfying conclusion, and you enjoy reading it - the details don't really matter.

I'll be posting my own flash-fiction later today. If you would like to find out more about the first National Flash-Fiction Day in the UK, and the dedicated team of organisers who have created this celebration for the short, short story then you can visit their site here.

As a result, we miss out on discovering that our neighbour, friend or family member lived an exciting life. We don’t hear their stories of love and survival. We’ve no record of their achievements, their challenges or much-loved recipes. And so we lose our opportunity to learn from their life experiences, to benefit from their wisdom.

Our ancestors documented history by telling stories around the campfire. But we’ve allowed the art of sharing our stories to fade from our grasp. Even though we live in a technological age that makes it ever easier to write about our lives using computers.

Thankfully, memoir writing is becoming popular, with many now wanting to tell ‘their story’, and offer a meaningful gift for their children, grandchildren, neighbours and friends. And it’s important that we do share our personal version of the past, because every generation has a unique history to document and perspective to offer.

Once you’ve made the decision to write about your life, you might find that the process isn’t as easy as you imagined. Where to start your story can be difficult. Do you dive in at the beginning or the middle? And how to begin… staring at a blank piece of paper or screen can be daunting.

That’s where my Memoir for Beginners talk can help. During the session, I’ll guide you through those initial choices about what to write about. Then we’ll look at how and where to begin. We’ll also tackle the creative process and how to get it flowing.

So, if you’ve ever contemplated writing about your life and feel you’d benefit from help in getting started, why not join me at the Lechlade Library on Tuesday 24^th April from 10.30 to 12.30. To reserve your place call me on 07564 185161 or email me at mel@melmorton.com

A chocolate printer! Years ago, the idea of such a product would have sounded far too fantastical. But now the dream-like scenario of being able to print your own chocolate is set to become a reality, according to a BBC report.

It’s believed that the latest in 3D printing might be on sale as soon the end of April. Whilst it’s a shame it was too late for Easter, the truth is that most of us don't need an excuse to indulge.

The excitment that the printer's generating is not just about the chocolate. A 3D chocolate printer holds the same novelty value as a chocolate fountain. They seem irresistable to us, igniting both fascination and fancy for chocolate that doesn't arrive in shiny wrappers - chocolate we can interact with.

But it won't just be the chocaholics queueing up to buy the printer. All those with creative chocolate streaks will be keen to discover a fresh approach in creating personalized sweets.

But how will it work? In an interview with the BBC, lead scientist Dr Liang Hao from Exeter University explained how printing chocolate occurs:

“Just like any other 3D printing technique,” Hao said, the chocolate printing “starts with a flat cross-section image – similar to that produced by ordinary printers turning out images.”  It then, he explains, “prints out chocolate layer by layer to create a 3D shape, without any moulding tools.”

Having received welcome interest from retailers after he demonstrated the chocolate printer prototype last year, Dr Hao founded the Choc Edge company who will introduce the revolutionary printer on to the market.

“We’ve improved and simplified the machine, so now it is really easy to use,” Dr Hao told the BBC.

“You just need to melt some chocolate, fill a syringe that is stored in the printer, and get creative printing your chocolate.”

Whilst initially the 3D chocolate printer may well be priced beyond most of our financial budgets, we can only hope that in time the price will drop as it did with chocolate fountains. And that one-day soon, we’ll all have the opportunity to lick the remains of chocolate from the printer cartridge.

In the meantime, we'll simply have to make do with a regular bar of chocolate...

To read the BBC article you can click the link here.

If like me, you’ve never heard of the Marathon Des Sables (MdS), it’s a gruelling race that spans 243 km (151) miles across the Sahara dessert in Morocco. Known as an ultra marathon, it’s essentially six marathons over six days –broken down as follows: day one comprises of 25 km, day 2 - 34 km, day 3 - 38km, day 4 – 82 km, (there’s a rest day here), day 5 – 42 km and day 6  - 22 km.  

Not surprisingly, the MdS has been described as the toughest footrace in the world – a point Carole quickly denies when I mention that to her.

“It’s not,” she assures me, giggling.

Amazingly, up to a 1,000 people typically compete each year, with an estimated 235 from the UK this year.

If the distance isn’t enough to put you off, competitors are self-sufficient throughout, carrying their supplies in a backpack as they run or walk. The two necessities they don’t have to take along with them are their daily water and a tent. Both of which are provided for them. Yet for many of us, this may present new challenges and deal-breakers – well, I know it would me.

Daily water consumption is restricted to 10 to 12 litres per person, and that includes drinking, cooking and washing (yourself and clothes). The tents, or bivouacs, sleep eight, which means you’re sharing with seven other competitors you’ve only just met.

On arrival, Carole explains, there will be time to get to know people and suss out who you might be happy to share a tent with. Although in such extreme conditions, you imagine that you’d soon get to know your tent companions pretty quickly.

Whilst Carole doesn’t believe this is the toughest race out there, she does agree that it’s a test of mental endurance. So how will she get through the brick wall – For Carole it will be determination that gets her past the finishing line, and of course months of training.

For the majority of us, even thinking about taking part would seem overwhelming, terrifying and simply beyond us. Not for Carole. Although she admits to a few nerves, she says she's excited about the experience, calling it a “holiday” and telling me that it’ll be fun.

A runner, on and off, for many years, Carole believes that we all could achieve this type of challenge with the right training and mental attitude. I’m not convinced, but listening to Carole I find myself feeling inspired and just for a moment I consider whether perhaps I could and should try...

I wish Carole the best of luck during her challenge and look forward to our follow up interview on her return.

Carole's been blogging about her MdS experience and it's a great read. So if you want to find out more about Carole then click the link here. Or if you’d like to donate to the Walking Wounded – her chosen charity, you can visit her Just Giving page here.

If you’re interested and think you have the mental and physical ability to achieve such a challenge then these sites might interest you.

http://runningsahara.com/

http://www.darbaroud.com/index.php?lang=en

International Women’s day began in the early 1900’s, which was a time of tremendous change as women began to demand the same rights as men. Through the decades, the day, which was initially about raising awareness of the challenges for women, has become a global celebration that acknowledges the spirit, courage, initiative, and strength of women.

Women have had to fight for their right to be equal, and fully independent. And we’ve come a long way. But there’s still a way to go.

Nowadays, women achieve the most amazing feats. They go to war; into Space and succeed in male dominated worlds. But the fact remains that women still don’t earn the same as men, even today.

And when a woman does become successful in a male driven industry, she has to fight the prejudices held against women – that we’re physically weaker, not as good, more emotional, fragile - and she has to constantly prove her worth.

 Hope for the future

Each day we read stories in the media about women who have achieved something amazing. There are articles about women who’ve shown tremendous courage, emotional strength or bravery. There are heart-warming tales of women’s friendships, of selfless acts, of women nurturing, of selflessly giving, which should make us all proud to be women and inspire us to be all that we can be.

While girls today have the opportunity and personal choice to either pursue a career, or be a stay at home mother and wife. Girls today know that they have the freedom to explore, and become what and who they want to be.

Decades of hard work, of challenging discrimination, and standing up against the male authorities have made a difference. We should be proud of the women before us who fought, because it is their dedication, their fight to liberate women that enables girls today to have the freedom and right to make a choice.

It is their strength that we carry with us, as we now continue striving forward in our quest for total equality.

Today, we salute previous generations of women who stood up for women rights and accepted the fight no matter what the personal cost was, the women who made a difference. And now it is our turn, we will continue that journey forward, ensuring that future generations remain free and empowered, as we are.

Celebrate Women’s International Day – celebrate women.

To get involved and celebrate, 430 events are being hosted in honour of Women’s Day throughout the UK. Why not visit the International Women’s Day website here at and start celebrating today.

Nowadays, we’re all so focused on the big defining moments and achievements in life; we’re all so busy. It becomes easy to lose sight of the small stuff as we bustle through our increasingly distracted every day lives.

But last week, after months of feeling freezing cold when I’m out on my bike, my face stinging from the bluster of icy wind, the pleasure of the sun’s warmth against my hands and face was, well, quite something.

Then there was the deliciously sweet, fresh aroma of the hedgerow as I cycled past. My enjoyment at seeing rows of crisp white snowdrops in bloom, and the clusters of sleeping daffodils waiting for the arrival of spring.

Back at home, I savoured the pleasure of watching Fidget leap about in the garden, while I tried to convince the birds that oats are a tasty alternative to peanuts, with glints of sunshine shimmering along the length of his ginger fur.

Then my weekly research trip to my local library, and my return home with a stack of books that’ll require more than a 24-hour day, 7-day week to read. Because as usual I got carried away with the possibilities of so many books, all the knowledge I could absorb if I read them.

And that excites me. Just as it used to do when I was a young girl. I still remember the joy I’d feel when entering the library, wondering what type of book I might select, what sort of story I would lose myself within later that day, whilst slurping a mug of tea.

That’s why it’s devastating that so many libraries are at risk of being closed. It’s hard to imagine something that offers so much pleasure to so many being forced to close its doors.

It’s not just the rows of books, DVD’s and maps in libraries, it’s the people you find in them too: the staff who are always so willing to help and share their knowledge with you. The young children wandering round with a pile of books that probably won’t last the week, the elderly settled within the comfortable armchairs, and the others - the lost ones who take daily refuge in the library from the outside world. If libraries close, what happens to them?

And now my stack of library books sit on my desk waiting to be read. Soon, I will know more about trench warfare, planning a wedding, Victorian Verses, fashion, how to dress stylishly, and how to be a thoughtful dresser. So many options… And next week, I shall return to the library to select, read and learn more

On reflection, there was an abundance of simple pleasures waiting to be appreciated last week: pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the warmth of the sunshine, watching a family of deers in a nearby field, the robin that greets me when I feed the birds, endless mugs of tea, Steve’s laughter, playing chase the ping-pong ball with Fidget, opening the windows to feel a warmish breeze…. the list goes on.

And each one has made my week lighter, happier and more meaningful, so perhaps they’re not just simple pleasures after all. 

Two hundred years on from his birth and one hundred and forty two years after his death, Dickens 2012, an international collaboration of programmed events and activities around the world, is leading the way in commemorating the bicentenary and remarkable works of Charles Dickens.

Of the author, Dickens 2012 says: ‘Although a writer from the Victorian era, Dickens’s work transcends time, language and culture. He remains a massive contemporary influence throughout the world and his writings continue to inspire film, TV, art, literature, artists and academia.’

Years ago, I would have felt the same fear if I contemplated reading a Dickens classic, as I would one of Shakespeare’s plays. I always wanted to read them but found the prospect too daunting. I worried they might be too slow, and to old fashioned to enjoy and so I never braved it.

In the past couple of years, once I’d started researching the Victorian era reading a Dickens novel became compulsory for me. Only then did I realise my error of judgement, recognised how much valuable reading time I had wasted.

I’m now, slowly (they’re chunky novels!), working my way through the many novels of Charles Dickens and find I become increasingly smitten with each one I read. To my surprise his novels are engaging, relevant to our current times in many different ways, have fantastically memorable characters and can be funny too!

That I would laugh out loud at a Dickens novel has astounded me the most. It shatters my preconceptions about the work of a Victorian author who strove hard in his life and career to document the injustices of his times: the hardships suffered by the working class and the need for social reform.

Just the other week, reading an early chapter of David Copperfield, I was reminded of the humour in Dickens’s work and found myself reading the scene aloud to Steve that evening. And like me he was surprised at the comedic timing, the humour buried within such a small scene of the novel.

That’s why the work of Dickens remains so popular because it is readable, meaningful, relevant and yet still manages to be entertaining.  

If like me you’ve been reluctant in the past to read a Dickens classic, why not, in celebration of his 200^th birthday, give one a go today. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Or if you’re keen to find out more or get involved in one of the many celebratory events happening around the world then visit the Dickens 2012 website to find out more: Dickens 2012

‘Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried to do with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest.’

                                                                                  Charles Dickens

Ironically, I didn't make the deadline; I was too stressed.  

A month later, I'm finally getting round to writing something about stress because I have to.  It's been sat on my to-do list far too long and it's bothering me.

These past few months have been busy and each day my 'to-do' list seems to expand and become increasingly demanding and unmanageable.  Even so, I of course add 'write an article on stress' to the expanding list, knowing that I will be hard pressed to achieve such a goal in the allotted time.  

Still it didn't stop me. 

I'd manage somehow, I told myself.  Because that's what we do isn't it?  We just allow ourselves to get busier and busier and slowly, so slowly we often don't notice, become overwhelmed by what needs to be done.  While the internal stress we are feeling, and perhaps not acknowledging, begins to overtake our lives.  

Of course we don't cut back on the work-load.  No, that would imply that we have failed.  Instead, we try to fit more in, believing that if we work faster and take advantage of those evening and night-time hours that are essentially 'wasted' with everyday living, we could achieve more.

It's an easy trap to fall into.  

Because as we work longer hours, hurrying to get more work done, perhaps reducing our free time and nightly sleep, our stress levels rise further.  We are then in danger of losing, not only our work-home life balance, but our productiveness and perspective too.

The reality is that the more we push ourselves to achieve, the less productive and efficient we become.

We like to believe that the stress we put ourselves under is a way of ensuring that we get the most out of ourselves.  It's certainly true to an extent; nothing beats that buzz of adrenaline. 

Until the adrenaline and stress turns on you.

"One of the difficulties about stress is that it can work for you or against you, just like a car tire," Manage your Mind authors Gilliant Butler and Tony Hope say.

"When the pressure in the tire is right, you can drive smoothly along the road: if it is too low, you feel all the bumps and the controls feel sluggish.  If it is too high, you bounce over the potholes, and easily swing out of control."

Whethor the stressor is extenal - money, work, responsibilities,  or internal - how we feel and react to situations it nearly always ends messily with a breakdown of some sort.

So what to do?

Butler and Hope suggest that you 'find a moment to stop and think,' and then allow yourself some 'breathing space.'

It can be hard to let go of those cycles of stress that we have become used to.  But if we want to live a happier and healthier life then it's a necessity.

If that doesn't persuade you then maybe the following list from the Manage your Mind authors will.  They believe that stress does the following:

• Stress affects your memory and concentration.
• Stress makes planning and decisions difficult.
• Stress makes you tired.
• Stress slows down your speed of recovery, lowering your resistance to illness.
• Stress makes you feel pressured.
• Stress tempts you to avoid difficulties or put off dealing with them, so they're not resolved.
• Stress reduces your efficiency.

The natural tendency, when we're stressed, is to isolate ourselves from family and friends.  We begin to live within our own world - a stress bubble that we have created.  The longer we stay in there the harder it becomes to let go, to release ourselves.

But talking to others, those who have a different, more focused perception on reality to us, can help.

Other ways to let go of stress include breathing and relaxation exercises, meditation, visualization, hypnosis, yoga.  However, initially, these activities can be challenging as our thoughts continue to spin as we attempt to relax.

If that's the case for you then a brisk walk, a run, or an activity that removes you from your own thought pattern is required.  Once you have established a sense of distance from the 'to-do' list or the stressors you're worrying about it's far easier to break the cycle of stress.

In time, you'll begin to wonder what on earth were thinking of.

In the meantime it's important to remember that stress can be debilitating and harmful to your health and enjoyment of life.  

If you're suffering with stress, particularly during the final weeks of December as we approach the seasonal period, then talk to someone: a friend, therapist or your Doctor.  Whatever you do, don't just ignore it or stress will steal your life away from you.

In a word, yes.  If you want to ensure that your business copy is not only engaging to read but also effective in boosting sales and raising your business/product profile, then a good copywriter is worth investing in.  Why?  Because copywriters are experienced, professional writers, skilled in writing engaging copy that does the job it’s supposed to: ultimately selling or promoting you, your business or your product.  They also bring with them the invaluable benefit of being able to write about your business objectively and with a fresh perspective.

 A fresh perspective on your business

Whether we’re trying to write about ourselves or our business it’s never easy.  That’s because we’re too close, too involved.  When we do manage to write something, we often fall into the trap of believing that we have managed to convey all those special details our product has, those extra benefits of what we’re trying to sell and promote.  However, the reality is that quite often we haven’t.  Somehow, because we know those details inside out, those crucial facts and the essential benefits with which we hope to lure an interested reader have not made it on to the page.  Instead they’re still locked inside, circling the periphery of our thoughts.  And that doesn’t help to sell anything.

 Copywriter skills

To be able to write the best copy for you, part of a copywriter’s skill is in asking you the right questions and understanding your business or product.  Because to do their job well, it’s essential they understand how you do business and who with.  Before you can write a sales brochure that appeals to the right audience, a copywriter must know who your target reader/audience/buyer is.  During the process of getting to know your business, a copywriter enjoys the unique privilege of understanding you, your business and its ethos. 

From there they are armed with both the insight of who you are and what you do as a company from working alongside you, and with a clear objective of what you’re selling.  It is this outside perspective that may allow the copywriter to see a new angle, an overlooked benefit of your product or service, with which they are then able to write tantalizing copy to entice readers and persuade them to become buyers.

  Isn’t a copywriter an unnecessary expense?

In this challenging economic climate, with increasing number of businesses being forced to make changes and necessary cutbacks with profit margins diminishing, it’s all too easy to understand why businesses see copywriting as an area in which they could economise.   For businesses that have relied on freelance or agency copywriters in the past, they may now have to delegate the copywriting to an employee.  That employee is probably someone who is good at their job, whatever that may actually be.

Unfortunately, there’s every likelihood that the person who’s desk the copywriting work lands on, whether an ad, press release, web page content, or sales brochure, is not anexperienced or qualified copywriter.  It’s also likely that that employee is now stressed, overwhelmed and out of their depth as they do their best to write what they think is good copy. 

Parts of it may be okay, but it doesn’t do justice to the advertising and marketing budget you’re investing in it.  And so your cost cutting exercise turns out to be a false economy, with a lost opportunity to win potential buyers.

Is okay copy good enough for your business?

Of course not.  You should never settle for anything less than outstanding copy that stands out, that reflects Keyword trends to assist with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) that encourages the reader to turn the page or click onwards to a sign up or sale.  And that is why a copywriter is worth the investment. 

The purpose of a copywriter is to use the power of words to sell.  They have the ability to not only write well, but understand it is essential to know who you are trying to sell to, who they’re trying to reach with an advert, brochure, web page, article, blog, or social media comment.

  Copywriters ARE worth the investment

As a copywriter, I know that my job is to hook the reader (your potential customer) and then sell them your product and all the benefits that come with it, whilst also answering any objections they may or could have.  Copywriting is complex, and it’s not simply about putting words on the page.  It’s much more than just that. And that’s exactly why, if you want your business to not only succeed but also thrive in the future, a copywriter is one of the best investments you will ever make.

The story had been picked up (as so many celebrity stories are nowadays) by a journalist in response to the actresses tweets on Twitter, in which she’d stated how devastated she and her family were at their recent loss. 

Whilst some might say it must have been a ‘slow news day’ for a story like this to hit the mainstream media, the reality is that in the celebrity obsessed culture we live in we're frequently presented with celebrity pet stories.

Recently, Jennifer Aniston was in the news and sharing in magazine articles about the loss of her dog, Norman.  Now, while I may not want to hear the intricate details of celebrities lives, when it comes to their pets, I do.  Reading the article, I was moved by the intense grief she expressed; of how much her dog had meant to her and what a reliable and supportive comfort he had been to her during his lifetime with her.  Why?  Because I knew and understand how she felt.  She was no longer an unreachable celebrity, but someone who was suffering at the loss of a pet, just like I have.

As I’ve said before anyone who has lost a pet of their own understands the overwhelming emotional pain felt when your loving pet is taken from you.  The sudden and profound emptiness in your life and routine.  When you’re with a fellow pet-lover and hear their story or you share your loss with them, there is immediate empathy.

This week, another pet news story that caught my attention was the moving image of the Labrador, Hawkeye who lay by the casket during the funeral of his owner, one of the Navy Seal’s killed when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan earlier this month.  Family members have since talked about Hawkeye leading the family into the funeral service of his beloved master, before sighing and dropping to the ground in front of the casket. 

A clear sign that our pets are as loyal and as touched by their grief for us, as we are for them. 

When we are sad they often comfort us.  One of few times Fidget has chosen to sit on my lap was the day our guinea pig, Lucy, suffered a stroke and we were forced to have her put down.  Looking back, it was as if he knew and was preparing me for what was to come. 

This past week, after Steve’s Mum was rushed into hospital (now thankfully on her way to a full recovery) Steve has undoubtedly been worried.   We shouldn’t have been surprised then when Fidgey curled up on his lap for a welcome and rare treat of a cuddle after returning from a visit to the hospital.

Of course being Fidgey, the cuddle didn’t last long.  But for Steve, it didn’t matter.  The gesture of Fidgey’s love and support in that moment meant the world to him.

The real & authorized Blog of Fidget the Cat

What a week, what a week it’s been.  I caught a bird and had it snatched off me.  They’ve been out far too much for my liking, and my coat is thickening up again.  A sure sign that autumn is on its way.  The downside to that though is there’ll be less time out in the garden for hunting, but the upside, cosy days beside the radiator.   

In a few weeks it’ll be my fourth birthday, so I’m keeping my paws crossed for a mouse cake or something equally delicious.

Anyway, gotta go as she’s taken up all the word count again.  Maybe next week I’ll get to do the long bit of the blog….. Here’s hoping. 

Later Dudes x

Read the Hawkeye article here.