Scene: Pelican sitting on a wharf Character: Boy fishing Time limit: 15 minutes Word count: 266 He pulled the line back in again, heart-breaking disappointment spreading across his sun-blistered face. The boy, who could not have been more than seven, had been fishing at this same spot every morning this week. And every morning he … [Read more...]
Online Shopping by Publishers Leads to Booming Business
From relative obscurity to a global phenomenon, the Internet has grown in the past decade to be a powerful force in the day-to-day lives of people the world over. The boom a few years ago meant early Internet entrepreneurs became millionaires, or sometimes billionaires, overnight. It seems the dot-com crash has not scared businesses off digital … [Read more...]
Living with PCOS
“I suggest if you want to have children you do something about it before you turn 30, and you will probably need fertility treatment.” I was 23 years old when my gynaecologist said this to me and eight years later the words still send a shiver down my spine. There was no way I wanted to even contemplate that option for at least five … [Read more...]
Newspapers Versus Magazines: When Readers and Advertisers are Spoilt for Choice
Community newspapers tend to have a very loyal readership, but what about loyalty from advertisers? Many community newspapers are now fighting with metropolitan dailies and glossy magazines for readers and advertisers, and this can erode the local paper’s monetary and content base, with some publications willing to steal stories and advertisers to … [Read more...]
Notes from the Volcanic Isle
From my vantage point on top of the spectacular Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand looked pretty good. After spending almost two hours negotiating ice steps, which had been cut for someone much taller than me, I was surveying the scene around me feeling exhilarated and unable to wipe the smile from my face. I had just climbed up a … [Read more...]
