It’s like working in two offices, one uptown, and one downtown.
I have two blogs, this one, and another which is purely for writing, and generally, a lot of starts and not a lot of finishes. I get ideas, and it’s a place to store them, and give a few people some amusement at my, sometimes, improbable situations and far-fetched stories.
Here I try to be more serious.
I have the ceiling, the cinema of my dreams. Here anything is possible, like jumping from a helicopter about to explode, and survive, and get out of a sinking ship, like Houdini. Of course, there is always one time when it doesn’t work, and Houdini knows that all too well.
Over there, I have a series which I started here, long ago, where I take a photograph and write a story inspired by it. The interesting thing about that is I could probably use the same photograph over and over, and it would inspire a different tale.
I know, if I was running a writing class, everyone would see that photograph differently.
But what amazes me sometimes is the fact the story is not directly related to the theme. It got me thinking about how we view our experiences, and what triggers memories. I’ve discovered that it doesn’t necessarily happen by correlation, say, for instance, a memory of being in New York might be triggered by a visit to a cafe in Cloncurry.
I try to do one of these every day, but sometimes it’s hard work. Writing itself can be some days, particularly when the words are lurking there, behind that invisible, impenetrable, rock wall.
OK, so I’m stuck in the middle of writing a piece over there, and I’ve come over here to whinge.
But, enough. I’ll let you know what the cinema of my dreams is showing, later.
What Raymond Chandler’s Life, Style, and Philip Marlowe Teach Us About Storytelling
…
When you think of classic American crime fiction, the name that instantly flickers to mind is Raymond Chandler – the heavyweight champion of hard‑boiled noir whose razor‑sharp prose still feels fresh after more than eighty years. Chandler didn’t just write detective stories; he invented a literary atmosphere that turned a gritty, rain‑slick Los Angeles into a character in its own right and gave us the unforgettable gumshoe Philip Marlowe.
But behind the sleek dialogues and smoky tavern scenes lay a life riddled with missteps, self‑destruction, and surprising twists. By digging into Chandler’s history, his flaws, and his unmistakable style, we can extract timeless lessons for writers, marketers, and anyone who wants to make an impact with words.
1. A Rocky Road to the Pen
Milestone
What Happened
Why It Matters
Early Years (1888‑1912)
Born in Chicago, moved to Colorado, a peripatetic childhood. Lost his mother at 12 and was sent to live with relatives in England.
Early displacement instilled a sense of alienation that later seeped into his urban landscapes.
Oil‑Field Engineer (1912‑1932)
Spent two decades drilling in Texas and Mexico, clashing with corporate bureaucracy and the harsh desert.
The “outsider‑against‑system” mindset is a core theme in his novels.
World War I Service
Served in the U.S. Army, briefly, then returned to the oil business.
Experience with hierarchy and authority fed his scepticism of power.
The Downward Spiral (1932‑1934)
The Great Depression wrecked the oil market; Chandler’s marriage collapsed. He turned to alcohol, gambling, and a series of odd jobs.
The personal chaos sharpened his eye for the darker side of human nature—fuel for the noir aesthetic.
Breakthrough with The Big Sleep (1939)
At 49, Chandler finally published his first novel, introducing Marlowe.
Proved it’s never too late to start a successful second career.
Takeaway: Chandler’s path to literary fame wasn’t a straight line. It was a series of failures, relocations, and personal battles that forced him to confront his own darkness. For creators, this teaches that authentic storytelling often springs from lived adversity—the harder the journey, the richer the material.
2. The Signature Chandler Style
a. The “Hard‑Boiled” Voice
Economy of Language: Chandler favoured short, punchy sentences that carried weight. Example: “She was a cheap, cheap girl, and the cheapness rubbed off on the rest of us.”
Wry Similes & Metaphors: He turned ordinary observations into unforgettable images. Example: “He looked as if he’d been run over by a train and then dragged through a sandstorm.”
Moral Ambiguity: The lines between good and evil are blurred; even the hero has flaws.
b. Los Angeles as a Character
Concrete Details: From neon signs to desert highways, Chandler painted the city with a painter’s precision.
Atmospheric Consistency: Rain, fog, and darkness aren’t just weather—they’re mood setters that echo the protagonist’s inner turmoil.
c. Dialogue That Cuts
Witty Banter: Conversations feel like chess matches—each line a strategic move.
Understatement: Frequently, what isn’t said speaks louder than the spoken word.
Takeaway: Chandler’s style is a masterclass in restraint. He shows us that brevity, vivid imagery, and a strong sense of place can create a world that feels larger than the sum of its pages.
3. Philip Marlowe: The Archetype That Still Resonates
Trait
How Chandler Crafted It
Modern Echo
World‑Weary Cynic
Marlowe narrates with a mix of sarcasm and weary empathy.
Anti‑heroes in film/TV (e.g., Breaking Bad, The Wire).
Moral Compass
Despite his jaded outlook, Marlowe adheres to an internal code of honour.
Brands that position themselves as “honest rebels” (e.g., Patagonia).
Lone Wolf
He operates alone, sceptical of institutions.
Freelance creatives, solopreneurs, and “maker” culture.
Sharp Observational Skills
He notices the smallest details—a stray cigarette, a shaky handshake.
Data‑driven marketers who derive insight from micro‑behaviors.
Marlowe’s lasting appeal lies in his human contradictions: tough yet tender, cynical yet idealistic. He’s a reminder that complex, flawed protagonists are far more compelling than flawless heroes.
4. What We Can Learn From Chandler’s Legacy
1. Embrace Your “Not‑So‑Great” Past
Your setbacks are a goldmine for narrative tension. Chandler turned his own bitterness into a voice that resonated with millions.
Practical tip: Keep a “failure journal.” Record moments that felt humiliating or painful; later, mine them for raw material.
2. Cultivate a Distinct Atmosphere
Whether you’re writing a novel or drafting a brand story, the setting is a silent storyteller.
Practical tip: Before writing, create a sensory map: list five smells, three sounds, and two visual motifs that define your world.
3. Write With the Economy of a Detective’s Pistol
Every word should earn its place. Trim the fluff, sharpen the similes, and let subtext do the heavy lifting.
Exercise: Take a paragraph you love and rewrite it using 30% fewer words without losing meaning.
4. Give Your Hero a Moral Compass, Even If It’s Bent
Audiences crave characters who stand for something, even if that something is a personal code that defies society.
Implementation: Define your protagonist’s “one rule they’ll never break” and let it guide every decision.
5. Let Dialogue Do the Detective Work
Bad dialogue is a dead giveaway of lazy writing. Let characters reveal plot, personality, and tension through how they speak—not just what they say.
Practice: Write a scene where two characters talk about a crime without mentioning the word “crime” at all.
5. Bringing It All Home: Your Own Noir Blueprint
Step
Action
Outcome
1. Harvest Personal Grit
List three moments of personal failure.
Source of authentic conflict.
2. Choose a “City”
Identify a physical or metaphorical setting that mirrors your theme.
Creates immersive atmosphere.
3. Define the Hero’s Code
Write a one‑sentence creed for your protagonist.
Anchors moral ambiguity.
4. Draft with a “Marlowe Lens”
Write every scene as if you’re a detective observing details.
Boosts vividness and tension.
5. Polish for Punch
Cut words, sharpen similes, test dialogue for subtext.
Delivers Chandler‑style impact.
Final Thoughts
Raymond Chandler’s journey from oil‑field engineer to the reigning monarch of noir proves that a writer’s personal turbulence can become a powerhouse of creativity. His blend of hard‑boiled prose, atmospheric detail, and a morally complex hero continues to shape everything from modern crime thrillers to brand narratives that crave authenticity.
If you can channel Chandler’s willingness to stare into his own darkness, harness it into a distinctive voice, and give your audience a world they can see, smell, and feel, you’ll not just write a story—you’ll craft an experience that endures.
Take a page from the master: own your scars, paint your city, and let your protagonist walk the line between the shadows and the light. The result? A story that, like Chandler’s, never truly fades.
Study the Competition So You Can Beat Them: The Ultimate Guide to Competitive Intelligence
In the world of business, going in blind is a recipe for failure. Whether you are launching a startup, running an established e-commerce store, or creating content, you cannot operate in a vacuum.
If your goal is to grow your market share, increase conversions, and ultimately win, you need to know who you are up against. As the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
In modern business, we call this competitive intelligence.
Studying your competition isn’t about copying what they do—in fact, that’s a surefire way to blend in instead of stand out. Instead, it’s about analysing their strengths, exploiting their weaknesses, and finding the gaps in the market that they are leaving wide open.
Here is a step-by-step masterclass on how to study your competition so you can beat them at their own game.
Step 1: Identify Who Your Real Competitors Are
Before you can study your rivals, you need to know who they actually are. Many business owners make the mistake of only looking at direct competitors. To get a true edge, you need to look at three distinct categories:
Direct Competitors: These are businesses offering the same product or service to the same target audience. (e.g., Coca-Cola and Pepsi).
Indirect Competitors: These offer different products or services, but they solve the same customer problem. (e.g., If you sell movie tickets, your indirect competitor might be a streaming service like Netflix).
Aspirational/Future Competitors: These are the industry leaders or disruptors who might not be targeting you today, but whose business models you want to emulate or eventually overtake.
Action Item: Make a list of your top 5 direct competitors and top 3 indirect competitors. These will be the focus of your analysis.
Step 2: Reverse-Engineer Their Digital Presence
Once you know who you are tracking, it’s time to put on your detective hat. The internet makes it easier than ever to audit your competitors’ strategies. Here is where you should look:
1. Analyse Their Website and User Experience (UX)
Go through your competitor’s website as if you were a customer.
How easy is it to navigate?
What is their value proposition? (What do they claim makes them special right on their homepage?)
What does their checkout or conversion funnel look like? Where do they friction points exist?
2. Audit Their SEO and Content Strategy
Organic traffic is gold. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest to see what your competitors are doing right in search engines:
What keywords are they ranking for?
Which of their blog posts or landing pages get the most organic traffic?
Where are they getting their backlinks from?
3. Monitor Their Social Media and Paid Ads
Look at how they communicate with their audience.
Organic Social: Which platforms are they most active on? What kind of content gets the most engagement (videos, carousels, memes, case studies)?
Paid Ads: Use tools like the Meta Ad Library and the Google Ads Transparency Centre to see what ads your competitors are currently running. What offers are they promoting? What angles are they using in their ad copy?
Step 3: Read Their Customer Reviews (The Goldmine)
This is perhaps the most powerful—and underutilised—tactic in competitive intelligence. Your competitors’ customer reviews are a roadmap to their weaknesses.
Go to platforms like Trustpilot, G2, Amazon, Google Business Profile, and Yelp, and look specifically at the 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star reviews of your competitors.
Ask yourself:
What are customers constantly complaining about? (e.g., “Poor customer service,” “Shipping takes too long,” “The software is too buggy”).
What did they wish the product did that it currently doesn’t?
How to use this to win: Take the exact complaints your competitors’ customers have and make them your core selling propositions. If your competitor’s customers hate their slow support, build your brand around 24/7, lightning-fast customer service.
Step 4: Conduct a SWOT Analysis
Now that you’ve gathered data on your competitors’ products, marketing, and customer feedback, it’s time to synthesise it. Create a SWOT Analysis for your top competitors, mapping out their:
Strengths: What are they exceptionally good at? (e.g., massive budget, strong brand recognition).
Weaknesses: Where do they fall short? (e.g., poor mobile UX, lack of personalisation).
Opportunities: What market trends are they ignoring that you can capitalise on?
Threats: What external factors could hurt them (and potentially affect you)?
By comparing their SWOT analysis to your own, you will clearly see your “Unique Value Proposition” (UVP)—the exact reason why a customer should choose you over them.
Step 5: Innovate, Don’t Imitate
The biggest trap in studying your competition is falling into the copycat syndrome.
If you simply mimic what your competitors are doing, you will always be one step behind. They set the rules of the game, and you are just following them.
Instead, use competitive intelligence to differentiate.
If everyone in your industry uses a formal, corporate tone, try being conversational, witty, and human.
If your competitors sell complex, bloated software, build a solution that is hyper-minimalist and user-friendly.
If they focus solely on features, focus on the transformation and emotional outcome your customer experiences.
Final Thoughts: Competitive Intelligence is a Continuous Process
Studying your competition is not a one-time task you check off your to-do list. Markets shift, algorithms change, and new startups emerge every single day.
Make competitive analysis a habit. Set aside an hour every month to check in on your top rivals, review their new ad campaigns, and see how their customer sentiment is shifting.
When you truly understand the battlefield, you stop reacting to what your competitors do—and start forcing them to react to you.
What happens when your past finally catches up with you?
…
Christmas is just around the corner, a time to be with family. For Will Mason, an orphan since he was fourteen, it is a time for reflection on what his life could have been, and what it could be.
Until a chance encounter brings back to life the reasons for his twenty years of self-imposed exile from a life only normal people could have. From that moment, Will’s life slowly starts to unravel, and it’s obvious to him that it’s time to move on.
This time, however, there is more at stake.
Will has broken his number one rule: don’t get involved.
With his nemesis, Eddie Jamieson, suddenly within reach, and a blossoming relationship with an office colleague, Maria, about to change everything, Will has to make a choice. Quietly leave, or finally, make a stand.
But as Will soon discovers, when other people are involved, there are going to be terrible consequences no matter what choice he makes.
There’s something to be said for a story that starts like a James Bond movie, throwing you straight in the deep end, a perfect way of getting to know the main character, David, or is that Alistair?
A retired spy, well, not so much a spy as a retired errand boy, David’s rather wry description of his talents, and a woman that most men would give their left arm for, not exactly the ideal couple, but there is a spark in a meeting that may or may not have been a setup.
But as the story progressed, the question I kept asking myself was why he’d bother.
And, page after unrelenting page, you find out.
Susan is exactly the sort of woman to pique his interest. Then, inexplicably, she disappears. That might have been the end of it, but Prendergast, that shadowy enigma, David’s ex-boss who loves playing games with real people, gives him an ultimatum: find her or come back to work.
Nothing like an offer that’s a double-edged sword!
A dragon for a mother, a sister he didn’t know about, Susan’s BFF who is not what she seems or a friend indeed, and Susan’s father, who, up till David meets her, couldn’t be less interested, his nemesis proves to be the impossible dream, and he’s always just that one step behind.
When the rollercoaster finally came to a halt, and I could start breathing again, it was an ending that was completely unexpected.
Study the Competition So You Can Beat Them: The Ultimate Guide to Competitive Intelligence
In the world of business, going in blind is a recipe for failure. Whether you are launching a startup, running an established e-commerce store, or creating content, you cannot operate in a vacuum.
If your goal is to grow your market share, increase conversions, and ultimately win, you need to know who you are up against. As the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
In modern business, we call this competitive intelligence.
Studying your competition isn’t about copying what they do—in fact, that’s a surefire way to blend in instead of stand out. Instead, it’s about analyzing their strengths, exploiting their weaknesses, and finding the gaps in the market that they are leaving wide open.
Here is a step-by-step masterclass on how to study your competition so you can beat them at their own game.
Step 1: Identify Who Your Real Competitors Are
Before you can study your rivals, you need to know who they actually are. Many business owners make the mistake of only looking at direct competitors. To get a true edge, you need to look at three distinct categories:
Direct Competitors: These are businesses offering the same product or service to the same target audience. (e.g., Coca-Cola and Pepsi).
Indirect Competitors: These offer different products or services, but they solve the same customer problem. (e.g., If you sell movie tickets, your indirect competitor might be a streaming service like Netflix).
Aspirational/Future Competitors: These are the industry leaders or disruptors who might not be targeting you today, but whose business models you want to emulate or eventually overtake.
Action Item: Make a list of your top 5 direct competitors and top 3 indirect competitors. These will be the focus of your analysis.
Step 2: Reverse-Engineer Their Digital Presence
Once you know who you are tracking, it’s time to put on your detective hat. The internet makes it easier than ever to audit your competitors’ strategies. Here is where you should look:
1. Analyze Their Website and User Experience (UX)
Go through your competitor’s website as if you were a customer.
How easy is it to navigate?
What is their value proposition? (What do they claim makes them special right on their homepage?)
What does their checkout or conversion funnel look like? Where do they friction points exist?
2. Audit Their SEO and Content Strategy
Organic traffic is gold. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest to see what your competitors are doing right in search engines:
What keywords are they ranking for?
Which of their blog posts or landing pages get the most organic traffic?
Where are they getting their backlinks from?
3. Monitor Their Social Media and Paid Ads
Look at how they communicate with their audience.
Organic Social: Which platforms are they most active on? What kind of content gets the most engagement (videos, carousels, memes, case studies)?
Paid Ads: Use tools like the Meta Ad Library and the Google Ads Transparency Center to see what ads your competitors are currently running. What offers are they promoting? What angles are they using in their ad copy?
Step 3: Read Their Customer Reviews (The Goldmine)
This is perhaps the most powerful—and underutilized—tactic in competitive intelligence. Your competitors’ customer reviews are a roadmap to their weaknesses.
Go to platforms like Trustpilot, G2, Amazon, Google Business Profile, and Yelp, and look specifically at the 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star reviews of your competitors.
Ask yourself:
What are customers constantly complaining about? (e.g., “Poor customer service,” “Shipping takes too long,” “The software is too buggy”).
What did they wish the product did that it currently doesn’t?
How to use this to win: Take the exact complaints your competitors’ customers have and make them your core selling propositions. If your competitor’s customers hate their slow support, build your brand around 24/7, lightning-fast customer service.
Step 4: Conduct a SWOT Analysis
Now that you’ve gathered data on your competitors’ products, marketing, and customer feedback, it’s time to synthesize it. Create a SWOT Analysis for your top competitors, mapping out their:
Strengths: What are they exceptionally good at? (e.g., massive budget, strong brand recognition).
Weaknesses: Where do they fall short? (e.g., poor mobile UX, lack of personalization).
Opportunities: What market trends are they ignoring that you can capitalize on?
Threats: What external factors could hurt them (and potentially affect you)?
By comparing their SWOT analysis to your own, you will clearly see your “Unique Value Proposition” (UVP)—the exact reason why a customer should choose you over them.
Step 5: Innovate, Don’t Imitate
The biggest trap in studying your competition is falling into the copycat syndrome.
If you simply mimic what your competitors are doing, you will always be one step behind. They set the rules of the game, and you are just following them.
Instead, use competitive intelligence to differentiate.
If everyone in your industry uses a formal, corporate tone, try being conversational, witty, and human.
If your competitors sell complex, bloated software, build a solution that is hyper-minimalist and user-friendly.
If they focus solely on features, focus on the transformation and emotional outcome your customer experiences.
Final Thoughts: Competitive Intelligence is a Continuous Process
Studying your competition is not a one-time task you check off your to-do list. Markets shift, algorithms change, and new startups emerge every single day.
Make competitive analysis a habit. Set aside an hour every month to check in on your top rivals, review their new ad campaigns, and see how their customer sentiment is shifting.
When you truly understand the battlefield, you stop reacting to what your competitors do—and start forcing them to react to you.
I’m back home and this story has been sitting on a back burner for a few months, waiting for some more to be written.
The trouble is, there are also other stories to write, and I’m not very good at prioritising.
But, here we are, a few minutes opened up and it didn’t take long to get back into the groove.
An interrogation and a revelation.
Debriefings were like interrogations, only friendlier. We were trained to withstand interrogation, so it would be interesting to see how I reacted. I had no doubt what some of the questions would be.
While I had a few minutes to myself, sitting down behind a bare metal table on a hard plastic and uncomfortable chair, with a warm cup of station house coffee, to consider the briefing.
Target, male, 6 foot 3 inches, 200 pounds, Caucasian, thought to be from either Russia or Bulgaria, but nothing to define his as such. I had wondered, at the time, what that meant. When I saw him in the alley I knew, then, what was meant, he looked the same as you or me.
No explanation for why he was under surveillance, but we did get a warning that he might be dangerous if he suspected he was being observed. Right about that, given team casualties.
Main objective, who he met, talked to, and where he went, every place, every detail to be noted. The unpredictable explosion threw the whole operation into chaos.
The door opened and a woman, middle-aged, conservatively dressed, walked in, closing it behind her. She sat in the other chair opposite me. She brought a file, thin, and put it in front of her on the table.
“Your name is Sam Jackson?”
“Yes.”
No introductions, nothing, just a start on the questions. No nonsense, but I could see she was very, very angry. With me, or those who had run a failed operation?
“How long have you been with us?”
“Eight months.”
She opened the file and glanced at the piece of paper on top. A minute passed before she closed the file again. “Closer to nine,” she said.
I said nothing. I wasn’t counting the days.
“How many operations have you been on?”
“Six, including this one.”
“Who assigned you to this specific operation?”
“Couldn’t say. I got the usual request via text message to attend a briefing at the midtown office.”
“What was the designated operation name?”
“Chancellery.”
For a brief second, there was a quizzical expression on her face, then it was gone.
“Who was running this operation?”
“Director Severin.”
A full three minutes of silence passed. I thought she was looking at me, the sort of stare that would break a lesser man, but in the end, I think she was looking right through me. I could not read her thoughts, but if I was to guess, they would be rather dark right now.
Then she spoke.
“You should know that there was no Chancellery on the books, and we certainly do not have a Director named Severin.”
50 photographs, 50 stories, of which there is one of the 50 below.
They all start with –
A picture paints … well, as many words as you like. For instance:
And, the story:
Have you ever watched your hopes and dreams simply fly away?
Everything I thought I wanted and needed had just left in an aeroplane, and although I said I was not going to, I came to the airport to see the plane leave. Not the person on it, that would have been far too difficult and emotional, but perhaps it was symbolic, the end of one life and the start of another.
But no matter what I thought or felt, we had both come to the right decision. She needed the opportunity to spread her wings. It was probably not the best idea for her to apply for the job without telling me, but I understood her reasons.
She was in a rut. Though her job was a very good one, it was not as demanding as she had expected, particularly after the last promotion, but with it came resentment from others on her level that she, the youngest of the group, would get the position.
It was something that had been weighing her down for the last three months, and if she noticed it, the late nights, the moodiness, sometimes a flash of temper. I knew she had one; no one could have such red hair and not, but she had always kept it in check.
And then there was us, together, and after seven years, it felt like we were going nowhere. Perhaps that was down to my lack of ambition, and though she never said it, lack of sophistication. It hadn’t been an issue, well, not until her last promotion, and the fact that she had to entertain more, and frankly, I felt like an embarrassment to her.
So, there it was, three days ago, the beginning of the weekend, and we had planned to go away for a few days and take stock. We both acknowledged we needed to talk, but it never seemed the right time.
It was then that she said she had quit her job and found a new one. Starting the following Monday.
Ok, that took me by surprise, not so much that it was something I sort of guessed might happen, but that she would just blurt it out.
I think that right then, at that moment, I could feel her frustration with everything around her.
What surprised her was my reaction. None.
I simply asked who, where, and when.
A world-class newspaper in New York, and she had to be there in a week.
A week.
It was all the time I had left with her.
I remember just shrugging and asking if the planned weekend away was off.
She stood on the other side of the kitchen counter, hands around a cup of coffee she had just poured, and that one thing I remembered was the lone tear that ran down her cheek.
Is that all you want to know?
I did, yes, but we had lost the intimacy we used to have, where she would have told me what was happening, and we would have brainstormed solutions. I might be a cabinet maker, but I still had a brain, was what I overheard her tell a friend once.
There’s not much to ask, I said. You’ve been desperately unhappy and haven’t been able to hide it all that well, you have been under a lot of pressure trying to deal with a group of troglodytes, and you’ve been leaning on Bentley’s shoulder instead of mine, and I get it, he’s got more experience in that place, and the politics that go with it, and is still an ally.
Her immediate superior was instrumental in her getting the position, but unlike some men in his position, he had not taken advantage of the situation like some might. And even if she had made a move, which I doubted, that was not the sort of woman she was, he would have politely declined.
One of the very few happily married men in that organisation, so I heard.
So, she said, you’re not just a pretty face.
Par for the course for a cabinet maker whose university degree is in psychology. It doesn’t take rocket science to see what was happening to you. I just didn’t think it was my place to jump in unless you asked me, and when you didn’t, well, that told me everything I needed to know.
Yes, our relationship had a use-by date, and it was in the next few days.
I was thinking, she said, that you might come with me; you can make cabinets anywhere.
I could, but I think the real problem wasn’t just the job. It was everything around her and going with her that would just be a constant reminder of what had been holding her back. I didn’t want that for her and said so.
Then the only question left was, what do we do now?
Go shopping for suitcases. Bags to pack, and places to go.
Getting on the roller coaster is easy. At the beginning, it’s a slow, easy ride, followed by the slow climb to the top. It’s much like some relationships; they start out easy, they require a little work to get to the next level, followed by the adrenaline rush when it all comes together.
What most people forget is that what comes down must go back up, and life is pretty much a roller coaster with highs and lows.
Our roller coaster had just come out of the final turn, and we were braking so that it would stop at the station.
There was no question of going with her to New York. Yes, I promised I’d come over and visit her, but that was a promise with crossed fingers behind my back. After a few months in the new job, the last thing she’d want was a reminder of what she left behind. New friends, new life.
We packed her bags, threw out everything she didn’t want, a free trip to the op shop with stuff she knew others would like to have, and basically, by the time she was ready to go, there was nothing left of her in the apartment, or anywhere.
Her friends would be seeing her off at the airport, and that’s when I told her I was not coming; that moment, the taxi arrived to take her away forever. I remember standing there, watching the taxi go. It was going to be, and was, as hard as it was to watch the plane leave.
So, there I was, finally staring at the blank sky, around me a dozen other plane spotters, a rather motley crew of plane enthusiasts.
Already that morning, there had been 6 different types of planes departing, and I could hear another winding up its engines for take-off.
People coming, people going.
Maybe I would go to New York in a couple of months, not to see her, but just to see what the attraction was. Or maybe I would drop in, just to see how she was.
As one of my friends told me when I gave him the news, the future is never written in stone, and it’s about time you broadened your horizons.
Every time I close my eyes, I see something different.
I’d like to think the cinema of my dreams is playing a double feature but it’s a bit like a comedy cartoon night on Fox.
But these dreams are nothing to laugh about.
Once again there’s a new installment of an old feature, and we’re back on the treasure hunt.
…
The Ormiston’s from the papers
…
The Ormiston story and that of the thousand or so acres between the sea and the mountains are now known as Patterson’s reach, but once called The Grove, began in 1865 when the original Henrich Ormiston arrived from Germany.
Originally intending to go to Australia to grow grapes in South Australia, instead, his fate turned West to the Americas, and, eventually, this part of Florida. He started out with the intention of growing grapes, but when that failed to materialize, he moved on to Oranges, hence the name, The Grove.
He had married before leaving Germany and had two children, Marta and Gunter before leaving, and Friedrich after he arrived in 1866. That Friedrich died, according to the gravestone, in 1924. Neither Marta nor Gunter stayed, leaving Friedrich to carry on the business, have an only child which he named after his father, Heinrich, born in 1899 and who died in 1976. He in turn had a single son, which he named Friedrich, the infamous person with who Boggs father had a tempestuous business relationship.
Friedrich was born in 1932, during the depression, and it was about that time that the notion there might be buried treasure, somewhere along that coastal area of Florida, floated by a university professor, Emil Stravinsky, who specialized in old pirates. He had published a book that basically speculated where treasure might be found, and one of those areas was right smack bang in the middle of The Grove.
This information was plucked from the paper’s births, death, and marriages column around the specified dates, the death notices giving some light on the respective Ormiston’s life and toils on their land.
Heinrich, Friedrich’s father, fell for the story hook line and sinker, and with a promise to share the proceeds of an estimated multimillion-dollar trove, invested a fair chunk of the savings he’d amassed over the years in the first of many treasure hunts. The name Stravinsky rang a bell in my head.
A quick look forward to the most recent editions showed it was the man who had died on Rico’s boat, who was, in fact, a third-generation relative of the original professor, an archaeologist in his own right, and digging a bit further into the story, the paper had published a dozen or so extracts from the professor’s book, hinting their subject matter had been derived from a particular pirate’s log, and from notes made over the years of research by the professor. It sounded like there was a diary.
I was going to have to find a copy of the professor’s book, which, if it had been published nearly 90 years ago, would now be out of print.
When the father, Heinrich had failed to locate the treasure, the son Friedrich continued the search, only he put more time and effort into more meticulous research rather than take the professor’s word of its whereabouts.
This was about the time Boggs’s father came into the picture.
He had lived and worked in the Caribbean and discovered quite by chance when a storm had blown his boat way off course on a weekend sailing run, the ruins of an encampment and hidden inlet on an uninhabited island where he believed the pirate had operated from.
While waiting to be rescued, the storm had damaged his boat, he took the time to explore, and although he hadn’t told anyone at the time of his rescue, he had discovered a box buried near where a building had once stood containing a map, several coins, a sextant, and a flag. The news of those discoveries came some years later when it was revealed he’s struck a deal with Ormiston to renew the search for the treasure.
When the result of that expedition came to nothing, each of the partners blamed the other for the lack of success, with Ormiston all but telling anyone who would listen that Boggs had created the map himself for the purpose of extorting money under false pretenses.
Boggs then had to produce the map, where it was authenticated as a map that had been created at the time of the pirate’s reign, but no one could say whether it was just an invention of someone at the time, or it was real. The fact nothing was found suggested the latter, and it marked to start of the feud between Boggs and Ormiston.
The question in my mind was whether Boggs had that particular map, and had he shown it briefly to me? Certainly, one of the maps he had was quite old, but there were so many variations, and they all looked equally as old, it was hard to tell.
One point I was quite certain on, none of the maps I’d seen showed the treasure’s final resting place as being in a cave, and I got the impression just before when I’d run into Boggs, that it was exactly where he was going.
Had that been the clue his father had referred to? Even with the so-called original map, if it showed the treasure hidden in a cave why did Boggs need Ormiston’s help?
Had Ormiston known that might be the final resting place of the treasure?
I would soon find out. My next stop was the library.
The “Practice Makes Perfect” Myth (and Why It Still Works—for Writing)
“If you do anything seriously long enough, you’ll get better.”
That sentence feels like an old‑school mantra you might have heard from a coach, a music teacher, or a parent. It’s comforting, almost inevitable—just keep at it and the results will follow.
But does the rule hold true for writers? And what does it mean when we say “good writing is contagious”?
In this post I’ll unpack the science behind long‑term practice, show why writing is a uniquely contagious skill, and give you a toolbox of concrete, battle‑tested tips to turn “doing it longer” into real, measurable improvement.
1. The Core Truth: Time + Deliberate Practice = Skill Growth
Fact
What It Means for Writers
Neuroplasticity – The brain rewires itself with repeated activity.
The more you write, the stronger the neural pathways that support storytelling, grammar, and voice.
Deliberate Practice – Not just “doing the thing,” but practicing with feedback and specific goals.
Writing a 500‑word blog post isn’t enough; you must target weak spots (e.g., pacing, dialogue) and refine them deliberately.
Deliberate Practice – Not just “doing the thing,” but practising with feedback and specific goals.
10,000 hours of mindless typing won’t help. Ten hours of focused revision, critique, and study can trump 100 hours of “just writing.”
Plateaus Are Normal – Skill acquisition follows a sigmoid curve: rapid early gains, a plateau, then a second surge after a breakthrough.
Expect periods where progress feels stagnant. Use them to experiment, read, or rest—don’t quit.
Bottom line: Time alone isn’t enough. You need deliberate, feedback‑rich practice to convert hours into mastery.
2. Good Writing Is Contagious – Why It Spreads
Social Proof: Readers (and fellow writers) gravitate toward high‑quality prose. When a piece shines, it sets a new benchmark in its community.
Mirror Neurons: We neurologically mimic the style and tone we consume, especially when we admire the source. Reading great sentences trains our own “inner ear.”
Collective Learning: Writing groups, workshops, and online forums create a feedback loop where one person’s improvement lifts the entire cohort.
Cultural Momentum: Think of the “New Journalism” wave of the ’60s or the rise of flash fiction on Twitter—once a few voices cracked the code, the style proliferated.
In short, exposure to excellent writing accelerates your own growth—if you allow it to.
3. The Pitfalls of “Just Writing More”
Common Misconception
Why It Fails
How to Fix It
“I write 2,000 words a day, so I’m improving.”
Quantity without reflection reinforces bad habits.
After each session, flag 1–2 things you’d change (e.g., redundancy, weak verb).
“I’ll get better after I finish my novel.”
Long‑term projects can hide small‑scale weaknesses.
Break the novel into bite‑size “skill drills” (e.g., one chapter focused on dialogue).
“Feedback is optional; I trust my gut.”
Our internal editor is notoriously biased.
Schedule regular external reviews—beta readers, editors, or a critique partner.
“I’ll read only what I like.”
Comfort zones limit exposure to new structures, vocab, and perspectives.
Add a “genre‑stretch” reading slot each week (e.g., poetry if you write nonfiction).
4. Actionable Blueprint: Turn Hours Into Better Writing
Below is a step‑by‑step system you can adopt today. It’s modular—pick what fits your schedule and skill level, then iterate.
A. Build a Structured Writing Routine
Component
Frequency
Tip
Micro‑Write (10–15 min)
Daily, first thing in the morning
Write a single sentence, a vivid description, or a quick dialogue exchange. No editing, just raw output.
Focused Session (45–90 min)
3–4× per week
Choose a skill goal (e.g., “show, don’t tell”). Work on a specific piece that targets that goal.
Review & Revise (30 min)
Immediately after each focused session
Highlight 2–3 improvement points; rewrite the same passage with those in mind.
Reading Sprint (30 min)
Daily or every other day
Read a passage from a writer you admire and take notes on what makes it work (sentence rhythm, word choice, structure).
Feedback Loop (1 hr)
Weekly
Send your work to a critique partner or post in a writing forum. Write a response to each piece of feedback, outlining what you’ll try next.
Why it works: The routine mixes production, analysis, and external input—the three pillars of deliberate practice.
B. “Contagion” Tactics – Let Good Writing Infect You
Curated Reading Lists
Classic craft: “The Elements of Style,” “On Writing” (King).
Genre deep‑dive: 5 seminal works from each genre you write.
Modern bite‑size: Follow Twitter accounts that tweet micro‑essays or haiku.
Imitation Exercises
Pick a paragraph you love. Rewrite it in your own voice while preserving the structure and rhythm.
Swap the genre (turn a news article into a short story).
Community Immersion
Join a weekly critique circle (online or local).
Participate in writing challenges (NaNoWriMo, 30‑day flash fiction).
Comment thoughtfully on other writers’ blogs—explaining what you liked forces you to articulate good writing principles.
Mentor‑Mode Writing
Write as if you’re teaching a class. Draft a short guide on a writing technique; the act of explaining refines your own understanding.
C. Metric‑Based Progress Tracking
Metric
Tool
How to Interpret
Word‑per‑hour output
Timer + word count
Aim for a stable range; spikes may indicate “flow” days, drops may signal fatigue.
Revision Ratio (original words ÷ final words)
Drafts in Google Docs
A decreasing ratio (e.g., 1.3 → 1.1) often signals tighter prose.
Feedback Score (e.g., 1‑5 rating from beta readers)
Survey Form
Trend upward? If flat, examine recurring criticism.
Reading Diversity Index (genres read per month)
Spreadsheet
Higher diversity correlates with more varied sentence structures.
Review these numbers every month and adjust your routine accordingly.
5. Real‑World Case Study: From “Stuck” to “Spitting Fire”
Writer: Maya, 34, freelance tech copywriter.
Problem
Intervention
Result (3 months)
Drafts flooded with jargon; readers complained of “dry” tone.
Daily 10‑min “show, don’t tell” micro‑write. Weekly 30‑min reading of narrative non‑fiction (e.g., The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks). Joined a local critique group focused on voice.
• Reduced average sentence length by 15 %. • Client satisfaction score rose from 3.2 → 4.6/5. • Secured a new contract for a storytelling‑heavy whitepaper series.
Maya’s story illustrates that structured, feedback‑rich practice beats sheer volume—and that reading narrative work made her own prose “contagiously” richer.
6. Quick‑Start Checklist (Print & Pin)
Write a 10‑minute “seed” piece every morning (no edits).
Pick one skill goal per week (e.g., stronger verbs).
Read a 5‑minute passage from a master writer daily and annotate.
Submit a draft for critique at least once a week.
Imitate a favourite paragraph once a month, then rewrite it in a new genre.
Log your metrics (output, revision ratio, feedback rating) every Friday.
7. The Bottom Line
Yes—if you do something seriously long enough, you will improve. But the quality of that “serious” effort is what determines how much you improve.
Good writing spreads like a good meme: you absorb it through reading, imitation, and community, and you amplify it by giving feedback and teaching.
By marrying deliberate practice with contagious exposure, you turn the simple mantra “write more” into a powerful, measurable growth engine.
Your next step? Choose one of the tactics above, commit to it for the next 30 days, and watch your prose evolve from “just getting longer” to “getting better.”
Happy writing—and may the contagion be ever in your favour!
If you found this post helpful, share it with fellow writers, and let us know which of the strategies you tried in the comments.
Daily 10‑min “show, don’t tell” micro‑write.
Weekly 30‑min reading of narrative non‑fiction (e.g., The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks).
Joined a local critique group focused on voice.
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 