From The Desk - A Spooky October Update

Every month, Richard, the Lapidus International Coordinator, is going to write a ‘From The Desk’ article to give an update of the day-to-day activity that goes on in the Lapidus International Office. This is the very first one of those updates and it's extra spooky!

Everything about October is amazing. The autumn colours, the cool breeze, the gorgeous sunsets, I can start wearing my cool ‘writer’s coat’ again without sweating, and, to top it all, we end the month with the spookiest of holidays: Halloween! I'm a big fan of Halloween - ghosts, ghouls, sweets and laughter, what's not to love? This year, I am planning on dressing up as someone in the most horrifying and ghoulish of jobs: the unpaid intern!

AN EXCITING MONTH

This month has been quite a wild one for Lapidus International. We’ve launched our Members Directory (or should I say resurrected, to keep with the theme?), we’ve successfully run our first ever flash fiction competition, and we’ve finally started the ball rolling on the much-requested return of the Creative Bridges conference in Bristol. It’s all go here at Lapidus International and we’ve got no intention of slowing down! I also attempted my first ever Facebook Live for Lapidus this month on the members' Facebook page where I mentioned a few things (in between nervous laughs and jokes about balloons), including the potential of future webinars.

(If you'd like to do your own Facebook Live, or share a short video about what you're up to, please get in touch!)

THE LITTLE BOOK OF PROMPTS

We have also recently launched our new book: The Little Book of Prompts, by Barbara Bloomfield and Frances Ainsle. I love this book and, seeing how fast it sold out, you do too! I've had a few enquiries as to when this little book of magic spells writing prompts will be back for sale, and I'm happy to say very, very soon! We are ordering some more and you will be able to purchase it through the website's store page.

VIDEOS, YOUTUBE, AND MORE!

Along with my little stint on Facebook Live, you may have noticed that we have been sharing more videos on our social media. This is thanks to Barbara Bloomfield, who is currently touring the USA after attending the Transformative Language Arts conference in Vermont. She very kindly sat down with a few of the attendees to talk about what they are up to, and different aspects of words for wellbeing. You can find these videos on our Facebook page and on our newly created Youtube channel! Thank you again to Barbara, and those who took the time to talk to her. The videos have given the social media a little more life! (PS: Barbara, we miss you and look forward to your return, but we hope you’re having a fantastic time!)

Things I am happy about this month:

• -   The new Members Directory!
• -   I survived Facebook Live!
• -   Creative Bridges Returns!

Things I am looking forward to:

• -   The AGM in December
• -   Reading the ‘Call for Paper’ submissions for Creative Bridges
• -   Bonfire night! Fireworks!

Things I am thinking about:

• -   How can we use the Lapidus International LinkedIn page to benefit our members? (Yes, we do have one!)
• -   How can we get more videos of our members talking about what they are doing out into the world? (Video is one of the best marketing tools)
• -   Does this Lapidus International office need a fish? (I want to call it Lancelot)

Richard Axtell is the Lapidus International Coordinator and a children's writer. He likes to make bad jokes, but you've probably figured that one out already.  He's currently working on a podcast with his wife all about writing and the strange expectations that are put on writers nowadays in this internet-run world (I have to write a book AND run a marketing campaign AND pay my rent?!). One day he will be able to market his best-selling book in this little bio section, but he hasn't written it yet.