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Pumpkin and celeriac curry

Pumpkin and celeriac curry

Wondering what to do with your leftover pumpkin? Taken possession of an intimidatingly knobbly, dirty celeriac without the first clue what to do with it? Give this dead easy curry ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 9, 2018
What is talent?

What is talent?

I went back to the city of my birth for a school friend’s wedding last weekend (big congrats, Lee and Tina!) and caught up with some old chums I hadn’t ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 23, 2018October 24, 2018
North Bristol Foodbank donations

North Bristol Foodbank donations

Just a quick picture (email subscribers: click this link to view) and some thanks: Here’s a selection of products from the ‘Urgently Needed‘ list heading to North Bristol Foodbank from ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 16, 2018
JUST ONE CLICK helps me help others

JUST ONE CLICK helps me help others

For every comment on or share of this post, I’ll donate an item to my local foodbank. I want everyone to know that I have a new website and I’m ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 8, 2018
New site, new branding, same awesome writer :)

New site, new branding, same awesome writer :)

Hello folks! Very excited to start using my brand new logo and website from today. Almost 4.5 years have passed since I first registered the domain www.chrisparsonswrites.com and turned freelance. ...
by chrisparsonswrites • September 24, 2018
Roasted beetroot and apple with dressed green lentils

Roasted beetroot and apple with dressed green lentils

It’s been a long time since I added a recipe, so here’s one for the new autumn season. We get a lot of beetroot in our vegbox. It’s something I’ve ...
by chrisparsonswrites • September 23, 2018
Why business writing fails – 5 quick examples

Why business writing fails – 5 quick examples

Want your comms to create greater loyalty? Then write for your audience, not for you. Let’s face it, in a business context, most of us write to communicate for our ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 21, 2018September 19, 2018
Work stress: we keep failing people. Why?

Work stress: we keep failing people. Why?

A teacher friend of mine has been signed off sick with stress. A mix of work and personal circumstances led to a public unravelling at his place of work. He’s ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 1, 2017September 12, 2018
Selling your product, or your brand?

Selling your product, or your brand?

Encouraging your audience to connect emotionally with your writing is a great idea. Most corporate marketing these days focuses on the brand rather than the product. Why? One reason may ...
by chrisparsonswrites • August 24, 2017September 12, 2018
Teenage kicks: “Although you are annoying…”

Teenage kicks: “Although you are annoying…”

I was thinking about teenage emotional wellbeing when I came across my old school leaver’s book. You know, the one where all your friends write how distraught they are to ...
by chrisparsonswrites • April 24, 2017September 12, 2018
Dallaglio RugbyWorks – giving kids the chance they deserve

Dallaglio RugbyWorks – giving kids the chance they deserve

Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend time at the Dallaglio RugbyWorks national rugby tournament. What a fantastic day. RugbyWorks, the charity of former England rugby captain and World Cup ...
by chrisparsonswrites • March 29, 2017September 12, 2018
10 keys to happier living on International Day of Happiness

10 keys to happier living on International Day of Happiness

At a time of immense global upheaval, what’s to dislike about the idea of happiness for all? Action for Happiness, the wonderful people behind International Day of Happiness, have some ...
by chrisparsonswrites • March 20, 2017September 15, 2018
Advice for your younger self – what would you say?

Advice for your younger self – what would you say?

What advice would you give your 14-year-old self? Recent and upcoming events made me consider this question. Here’s some stuff I might say. Advice to my younger self You’ll never ...
by chrisparsonswrites • March 2, 2017September 15, 2018
Local charity or CIC? I write for FREE

Local charity or CIC? I write for FREE

It’s Friday, Superbowl weekend and I’m making pizza for dinner – three excellent reasons to remind Bristol and Bath-based not-for-profits that I offer you my services for FREE. I’ve been ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 3, 2017November 7, 2018
Some Christmas wishes

Some Christmas wishes

I wrote a wishlist of some of the things I’d like over the festive period. A mixture of the selfish and the altruistic. It was quite a boring list, so ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 20, 2016September 15, 2018
6 tips for a great About Us page

6 tips for a great About Us page

(Converse-ion, geddit? Yeah, I know.)   Last time, we looked at why a great About Us page is so important. In this blog, we’ll address how to create that outstanding ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 17, 2016November 7, 2018
Why a great About Us page is so important

Why a great About Us page is so important

If your analytics are anything like mine, your About Us page is one of the most visited on your site. Which might seem a bit irritating. After all, you’ve spent ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 28, 2016September 15, 2018
5 cringe-worthy corporate writing fails

5 cringe-worthy corporate writing fails

(photo by Jason Eppink)   Here’s a short list of corporate writing and marketing fails that makes me squirm. Do you agree? What else would you add? “Solutions” – Drainage ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 5, 2016September 15, 2018
Writing real-life birthday stories

Writing real-life birthday stories

My old school friends and I reach a milestone over the next 12 months. I want to create a story of the year so here’s the note they’ll each receive ...
by chrisparsonswrites • September 15, 2016September 15, 2018
Does emotion affect your writing?

Does emotion affect your writing?

Have you ever returned to an old haunt, decades later, and found yourself bathed by memories you’d forgotten? And as a writer, do these events influence your work? This week, ...
by chrisparsonswrites • August 26, 2016September 15, 2018
Virtual Reality now just reality

Virtual Reality now just reality

Yesterday, the BBC and Virgin Media both jogged a distant, childhood memory. 25 years ago, this is what passed for state-of-the-art entertainment. As if trips to London weren’t glamorous enough ...
by chrisparsonswrites • August 5, 2016September 15, 2018
Stop sports doping. Start office doping.

Stop sports doping. Start office doping.

So, Russia, you’re sport’s great big institutional drugs cheat, are you? For shame. And what a waste! We should harness those skills to boost performance for deskjobbing 9-to-5ers instead. It’s ...
by chrisparsonswrites • July 19, 2016September 15, 2018
Pro cycling’s rough ride is a lesson for us all

Pro cycling’s rough ride is a lesson for us all

This story about cycling isn’t really about cycling. Instead, it’s full of learnings for businesses and societies alike. Which apply to you? I grew up watching the Tour de France ...
by chrisparsonswrites • May 3, 2016September 15, 2018
Do you pass the ‘So What?’ test?

Do you pass the ‘So What?’ test?

You don’t need to be a great writer, you just need to give people a reason to care. I have one of my former bosses to thank for one of ...
by chrisparsonswrites • April 11, 2016September 15, 2018
They call it continuous improvement, apparently

They call it continuous improvement, apparently

These last couple of weeks I’ve mostly been editing personal development training materials. No, wait, hear me out. It’s turned out to be really interesting – getting to grips with ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 26, 2016September 15, 2018
Psst! The secret to a great case study

Psst! The secret to a great case study

Lately, I’ve been writing lots of case studies. Which I enjoy. They appeal to my sense of narrative. But I’ve realised how hard they are for clients to write themselves. ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 3, 2016September 16, 2018
New Year, new beginnings

New Year, new beginnings

There’s something cathartic about leafing through a seed catalogue on January 2nd. Which is a sentence I’ve spent most of my life not expecting to write. But at a time ...
by chrisparsonswrites • January 6, 2016September 16, 2018
The chickpeas that changed the world

The chickpeas that changed the world

If every day you shut your eyes and walk down the same street with the same giant pothole then every day you’ll fall in. I was reminded of this aphorism ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 30, 2015September 16, 2018
Home workers: a meaningful two minute silence?

Home workers: a meaningful two minute silence?

Today is Armistice Day. So what do I and the other 4.2 million home workers in the UK do at 11 o’clock this morning? According to figures released by the ...
by chrisparsonswrites • November 11, 2015September 16, 2018
Festive freelancers – time to clock off or crack on?

Festive freelancers – time to clock off or crack on?

In a corporate office, it was a no-brainer for me – between Christmas and New Year, you work. Why wouldn’t you? It’s unquestionably the best time of the year to ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 17, 2015September 16, 2018
Boost company productivity – get a dog?

Boost company productivity – get a dog?

I’ve been writing a lot about growing small businesses lately, so I decided to expand my own by taking on an office assistant. Meet Ben, the newest member of the ...
by chrisparsonswrites • October 16, 2015September 16, 2018
Dismaland – where reality bettered art

Dismaland – where reality bettered art

Getting into Dismaland, Banksy’s new art installation theme park at Weston-super-Mare, was more depressing than the exhibition itself. As we began to weave our way through the stacked rows of ...
by chrisparsonswrites • August 27, 2015September 16, 2018
Here it is, ready or not

Here it is, ready or not

How do you know when something you’ve written is ready for someone else to read? It’s a decision we make all the time, in different little ways, often without ever ...
by chrisparsonswrites • August 12, 2015September 16, 2018
Found: house in the garden of Eden

Found: house in the garden of Eden

Inspired by Mia Hansen-Løve’s new film, the homage to house music Eden, I’ve been working through a series of French and New Jersey garage classics from the film’s outstanding, 4.5 hour soundtrack. ...
by chrisparsonswrites • July 28, 2015September 16, 2018
Brief encounters of the football kind

Brief encounters of the football kind

What’s the record for the briefest sporting appearance of all time? I’d like to stake my own claim. After a 28 year pause, two weeks ago I rebooted my football ...
by chrisparsonswrites • July 9, 2015September 16, 2018
35 trains and 15 buses (but no planes)

35 trains and 15 buses (but no planes)

Or 35 trains, 15 buses, 4 cars, 2 boats and a tram, to be exact. That was the sum total of engine power for our flight-free return trip from Bristol, ...
by chrisparsonswrites • June 26, 2015September 16, 2018
If I based my vote purely on the leaflets…

If I based my vote purely on the leaflets…

After endless months of talking about it, Polling Day in the UK’s 2015 General Election is finally here. Phew. Even if you avoid the “news”, you can’t escape the election. ...
by chrisparsonswrites • May 7, 2015September 16, 2018
A recipe: Rhubarb, Puy lentil and Jerusalem artichoke curry

A recipe: Rhubarb, Puy lentil and Jerusalem artichoke curry

Yes, rhubarb in a curry. I know, go figure. The tartness of the rhubarb works brilliantly though, so give it a crack whilst it’s in season. Trust me. This is ...
by chrisparsonswrites • April 20, 2015September 16, 2018
Kids, the truth: recycling sucks (but please do it)…

Kids, the truth: recycling sucks (but please do it)…

I went to the library and got out a kids’ picture book about recycling. It’s the dullest, worthiest thing I’ve ever read. It’s not true either. On the last page, ...
by chrisparsonswrites • April 7, 2015September 16, 2018
A recipe: UK-style refried beans and homemade corn tortillas

A recipe: UK-style refried beans and homemade corn tortillas

Sunday night was Mexican night here at Casa Bristolia: refried beans with a British twist of cooked greens and Lancashire cheese, plus corn tortillas. A perfect meal for a lazy ...
by chrisparsonswrites • March 24, 2015September 16, 2018
International Women’s Day – fair play in sport?

International Women’s Day – fair play in sport?

It’s good to see International Women’s Day again making an impact in the UK on March 8th. Many believe the gender issue isn’t a big deal in the western world ...
by chrisparsonswrites • March 6, 2015September 16, 2018
Radio kills the (1080p HD) video star

Radio kills the (1080p HD) video star

Encouraged by a couple of brilliant recent examples, I’m on the lookout for audio documentaries. I thought I’d share a couple of my all-time favourites and ask you to do ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 16, 2015September 16, 2018
FREE professional writing for charities – extended indefinitely!

FREE professional writing for charities – extended indefinitely!

Many of you spotted my New Year offer of free professional writing support for local charities and not-for-profits. Well I had such positive feedback and enjoyed the work so much ...
by chrisparsonswrites • February 11, 2015November 7, 2018
Notes from a small island

Notes from a small island

Life, they say, is stranger than art. I carry a little notebook around with me sometimes. The idea is to jot down little snippets of thought based on something seen ...
by chrisparsonswrites • January 30, 2015September 16, 2018
I wanna tell you a story

I wanna tell you a story

But before that, comes the research. One of the motivations for going freelance was the opportunity to try writing a children’s book and, since Christmas, I’ve spent some more time ...
by chrisparsonswrites • January 22, 2015September 16, 2018
Free professional writing for charities & CICs

Free professional writing for charities & CICs

A warm welcome to all of you busting a gut to work for the good of others. And no, by others I don’t mean shareholders. Thank you. It’s great to ...
by chrisparsonswrites • January 1, 2015November 7, 2018
A recipe: Dukkah-topped macaroni cheese

A recipe: Dukkah-topped macaroni cheese

I love macaroni cheese just as it is. Why mess with it? I guess it’s like those “limited edition” crisp flavours. Nobody expects you to keep buying them, but it’s ...
by chrisparsonswrites • December 18, 2014September 16, 2018
In defence of tea

In defence of tea

We’ve been busy greening the house recently. Well, when I see we, I mean “other trained professionals”. After 8 and a bit years in a drafty old Victorian terrace we ...
by chrisparsonswrites • December 11, 2014September 16, 2018
In search of the perfect homemade veggie burger

In search of the perfect homemade veggie burger

It’s the one thing that, guiltily, tastes better from a supermarket freezer. The lovely, meaty firmness of a Linda McCartney peri peri quarter pounder wipes the floor with any vegetable ...
by chrisparsonswrites • December 3, 2014September 16, 2018
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