by Sue Horner | Aug 24, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
We’re horrified about it now, but at one time people would say “deaf and dumb” when they meant someone who could not hear or speak. Language evolves, and we’ve come a long way. What was once said without thinking we now recognize as offensive. And just as we need to...
by Sue Horner | Aug 19, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Consultants and freelancers are always interested in talking about fees. (Are we charging enough? Too much? What’s the going rate?) And so it was a group of us recently took part in a Twitter chat hosted by PWAC, the Professional Writers Association of Canada....
by Sue Horner | Aug 12, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
My sister-in-law introduced me to the dangerous “robed cult of relaxation” at beautiful Ste. Anne’s Spa in 2012. Getting treatments like hot stone massages or facials, enjoying healthy, delicious meals, staying in comfortable beds in charming...
by Sue Horner | Aug 6, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
When you were a kid, you probably loved birthdays. Cake and presents and being king or queen for the day made you feel special, didn’t they? These days, when you hand over your birth date to marketers, they have a chance to make you feel special, too. Of course,...
by Sue Horner | Jul 30, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
In the early days of Twitter, doubters complained that it was just a place where people shared what they ate for lunch. Instagram, too, has that kind of reputation. But businesses are looking more closely at this photo-/video-sharing app as a way to build brand...
by Sue Horner | Jul 22, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You may have heard me talk about “spinning straw into gold.” That’s my shorthand for turning reams of raw interview notes into a concise, readable story. Often it also means boiling 1,500 words down to 500. (“Pulling a rabbit out of a hat” is doing so to meet a tight...
by Sue Horner | Jul 15, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
(This post updates one originally written in 2013.) Storify used to be a handy free service that “makes the web tell a story.” It’s been taken over by Livefyre and now requires a paid license. Many people are instead turning to Twitter Moments to collect – or curate,...
by Sue Horner | Jul 12, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Join us Wednesday for the next #PWACchat for freelance writers? pic.twitter.com/t6YVjqr5Fr — PWAC Toronto Chapter (@PWACToronto) July 5, 2015 When do you ask a client for a referral or a testimonial? We writers are often shy to ask, but it’s an important way of...
by Sue Horner | Jul 2, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Have you ever noticed this? You’re digging around the web, collecting advice or thoughts on a particular topic. You find interesting content, but when you try to check how current it is, you can’t find the date it was published. Sometimes, you only find a...
by Sue Horner | Jun 24, 2015 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Non-profit organizations use annual reports to let donors know where their money goes, and ask for more support. Yet a 2013 study* shows only 26 per cent of the Canadians surveyed think charities do a good job of explaining how donations are used. So, how does a...
