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Allison Jane Smith

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February round-up: what I’ve been writing, reading, and doing this month

February 29, 2016

There’s been a lot going on in February. The recent changes I’ve made to my website (check out that new logo in the top left-hand corner!) reflect bigger changes going on under the surface.

For the past while, I’ve been developing a new communications service for event planners, to help them turn their events into content (there’s a teaser — more to come). The process of thinking about a new service prompted reflection on my goals more broadly. 

What am I doing? Why am I doing it? 

I thought about the seemingly disconnected elements of my communications consulting business, and my work as a nonfiction writer. I didn’t see how these things fit together, and mulled over setting up a “proper” business with its own corporate name to distance my consulting from my writing. 

But that felt unnatural. Sure, contributing to an anthology on breasts (see below) and writing blog content for a marketing client are wildly different, but to pretend it was two different Allisons doing each seemed weird. Like it was cutting me into two parts. 

A few months ago I realized these two parts aren’t unrelated. They’re united by a common thread of my genuine love for expressing great ideas well.

Whether it’s exploring ideas about home for a literary magazine or working with a client to express their ideas about innovation in healthcare, it comes from the same place.

February was a big month because I figured a lot of this out. I can’t wait to see what March holds. 

Until then, here’s what I’ve been writing, reading and doing in the past month. 

Writing

Yes, it’s true. An essay I wrote is going to be in an anthology. My essay in "Boobs: Women Explore What It Means to Have Breasts" describes my experience considering whether to remove a benign lump from my breast, while living in Asia.

The anthology is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, and will be in bookstores in March.

Reading

Facebook unveiled its new reactions last week. Slate: “Facebook’s Five New Reactions Buttons: Data, Data, Data, Data, and Data”

In the Walrus, the president and CEO of Historica Canada describes how Heritage Minutes are made. Being from Manitoba, I distinctly remember the Heritage Minute on Valour Road, the Winnipeg street that was home to three Victoria Cross recipients.  

This long read from ThinkProgess argues America is in the midst of a phony debate over political correctness — just like 30 years ago. Is it possible to shape a new debate, relying less on anecdote and more on data? 

Doing

Because my blog posts on copywriting were so popular, I put together a cheatsheet with 50 words to cut from your writing. Sign up for my newsletter to get your free copy. 

Writeshop Wednesdays is in full swing. We’ve written blog posts, op-eds, speaking notes, and more. Join us. 

What have you been writing, reading and doing this month? I would love to hear in the comments below. 

In roundup Tags boobs, copywriting, #writeshopweds
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