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During NZ Covid lockdown, Salvi discovered his dad’s old war diaries and turned them into a book
Meet Salvi Garguilo. He’s a tall Italian man with a sharp mind for maths, and a laid back approach to life that has won that hearts of many students over the years. Salvatore Gargiulo with his Dad’s war medals, Nelson, New Zealand. 2020. I first met him way back when I was a scruffy 11 …
Tip # 4: Why your life story really does matter
Ok. It is easy to take our life stories for granted. I’ll admit it. Why? Because we’ve lived every moment of the experience and for us it’s normal. For every exciting moment there have been a million mundane ones and besides, other people’s stories are far more interesting. Aren’t they? Most people will leave it …
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Tip #2 Clarify who your life story is for
Being clear about who you’re writing your life story for before you start writing will make it easier for you. Who are you writing your story for? Yourself? Your family? The public? Who ever it’s for, knowing this from the start will also set the tone and determine what you include. Will you unleash all …
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Tip #1 – Write on the back of your photos
For some, this is a revelation, a ticket to freedom! For others this suggestion is about as wild and on the edge as running naked down a busy city street. Many of us have been told NEVER to write on the back of our precious photos, but I've come across folk who eventually thrown their …
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Stuck at home? How to finally write your life story
Writing your memoirs or life story is one of those really important things many people mean to do, but never get around to. Or, in my father’s case, he couldn’t see the point in sharing the details of his very ‘normal’ life. My father was a child of WW2 who went onto become a soldier …
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How to prepare to write your memoir, even if you do it yourself
Where do you start, when you're thinking about writing the story of your life? I was recently asked this question by someone who very much wanted to write his story, but was daunted by the 'how on earth to do it' factor. Whether you're writing about your entire life, a period of time, or an …
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I have time to write your life story
Oh the stories we hold within. This old courthouse in Reefton (during a recent holiday) had me imagining all kinds of scenarios.Yes it's true! I've been up to my eyeballs in not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR books, all at once. And they're all drawing to an end. All at once. It's …
Why I think artists should share baby, share!
Note to artists and creative folk: Please boldly share your creations with the world! Meet Golden Bay artist Larissa Dunn. She is a highly creative soul, selling her wares online and from Detour Gallery. She makes pencil cases out of upcycled materials, map dresses, and whale paintings to name but a few. Over the past …
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Helping you keep your people in the loop
It can be tough keeping your customers and team up to date with fresh news when you’re flat out running a business. So get in touch! I’m Charlotte Squire and I’m a wordy girl from way back. If you need help whipping up a blog or two, capturing those customer raves, attracting media attention, or …
When your passion project is so exciting, you can’t see clearly enough to pitch the story
Being a social entrepreneur is all encompassing right? I know because I've set up a few social enterprises myself, including a good news website designed to inspire positive social and environmental change, and a solutions focused newspaper about low carbon projects in my community. Along the way I wrote an article or two (well thousands) …
Connect, fast with potential customers
Running a successful business is well, busy, and when you get great feedback from customers it’s easy to smile, then move onto the next task. But those rave reviews are gold! They help future customers understand how you can help them, they build trust, they’re very shareable in this social media climate, and they often …
We’d love to help you share your news
Are you keeping your staff and customers up to date with the daily news of your business? It can be a daunting task! We'd love to help. Charlotte Squire Coms have over 50 years experience between them as wordsmiths, photographers and designers. They can take care of the stories and help you keep your website …
Why your story matters
My father once escaped, naked, from a prison camp with another guy. Actually, he was taken prisoner and escaped twice, with others. He was a soldier in the British army. And that’s all I know. I don’t know where he escaped from or what year it was. I don’t know who he escaped from, or who …
Memoirs and biographies can include your family
I write people's memoirs or biographies and lately I've come to realise our lives are so intertwined with others that it's hard to follow one person's story, without threading into the stories of those around us. Isn't that a beautiful thing? We're inately social beings. I've noticed that once the subject of the memoir has …
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Time slows and connection grows at the iconic Langford Store
By Charlotte Squire The newlyweds sit down outside the weather beaten shop. Their shoulders visibly drop as they gaze at a horizon of hills, feeling the sun on their faces. They make eye contact with a nearby elderly couple who are doing the same, and before long the four have become life long friends over …
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