George Jerjian

📚 Memoir vs. Autobiography: What’s the Difference? I often get asked this question as a book editor, so here’s a quick breakdown: Autobiography– A comprehensive account of your life, usually chronological, covering from birth up to a significant point or the present. It’s about everything that shaped you. Memoir– Focused, thematic, and intimate. Instead of covering your entire life, a memoir zooms in on specific experiences, events, or periods that reveal who you are and what you’ve learned. Think of it this way: an autobiography is the full map, while a memoir is a guided tour of key highlights. If you’re thinking about writing your story, knowing the difference can help you decide how to frame it—and make your story resonate with readers. ✨ Need help shaping your memoir or autobiography? I specialize in helping authors bring their personal stories to life. #Memoir #Autobiography #BookEditor #WritingTips #Storytelling #AuthorLife #WritingCommunity

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40 years ago, educator and culture critic Neil Postman published Amusing Ourselves to Death. He argues, amongst other things, that the reader ought to have been intellectually armed during the so-called print culture of America; that the reader ought to be as capable for receiving meaning as the writer is for creating it. As he builds an argument against the shift of our mode of receiving information at the onset of the television culture, I wonder what preparations would be ideal for the average reader today. Some may disregard Postman’s thesis as old-fashioned for the reason that he discourages the influence of technology on education and public discourse, but they miss out on a crucial point. Postman particularly calls out the aesthetic of triviality that is inherent to the latest, consumerist technology (at the time, television). It is worrisome to him that the seriousness of content is challenged by an amplification of the trivial. For instance, a debate that turns from thoughtful discussion to personal attacks, or decontextualised ‘news of the day’ segments that have little bearing on our day-to-day. 40 years later, how has the challenge been answered, if at all? Before I address that, let’s ask ourselves: 1.       Why does content change with technology? 2.       Does technology truly improve the creation and reception of content? 3.       How do we know what we ‘consume’ is not only authentic but also sincere? I am sure you can see how our interaction with Gen-AI, newsfeed algorithms, and social media fits in with the above questions. Sure, current technology processes and allows the dissemination of information quicker than before. However, it still takes the same amount of time to create and receive (that is, reflect on the meaning of) content that is both sincere and authentic– even if you, say, write a short piece using a GPT. Therein lies the answer to the first question: it is not so much the content that changes but the quality of content. What merits less attention was perhaps not meant to engage you in the first place, but hold your attention for the sake of it. Perhaps also to distract you, even if as a by-product more than anything. Having said that, I think the modern reader ought to be involved, beyond being intellectually armed. I say that because content today is uncertain, indecisive, and indifferent– which is, I believe, a reflection of our collective conscience. Moreover, the digital remove is concerning: people have become more insular despite being connected online. If Postman worried about triviality in public discourse, I worry about the abundance of indifference in content en masse. The ease of access to all kinds of content leaves little time for a thorough consideration of anything, which is also why the third question remains unanswered– for now. How would you answer it? #MediaLiteracy #AI #CriticalThinking #PublicDiscourse

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Saving the world or saving their bacon? The spy-author James Wolff writes enlighteningly in The Spectator about why SIS (commonly known as MI6) is so pernickety concerning what he and others can publish in novelistic form. He notes that, on occasion, he has been asked to remove from his manuscripts material that MI6 has already published on its own website. It might be concluded that such muddled ‘thinking’ somewhat undermines the credibility of the censors’ work. Apparently, it is troublesome to ‘reveal’ the geographical location of MI6 headquarters, despite that well-known building being featured in a Bond movie. Ultimately, Wolff concludes that those officers charged with wielding the redactive pen may be more interested in protecting the organisation’s reputation than protecting national security. Seems about right to me. So, perhaps too busy saving their bacon to do very much about saving the world? I’d be fascinated to see the letters that Wolff and the magazine’s editor will probably receive from the Government Legal Department about his thoughtful, innocuous piece. I hope The Spectator publishes them. (Link to the article in the comments)

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I don’t actually think we’re in a “trust recession.” 🙃 I think we’re in a self-trust collapse but no one seems to want to acknowledge that... Because it’s easier to blame audiences, your algorithm or that it's “buyers being sceptical”, but what I’m seeing every single day is that people don’t trust themselves anymore without AI input. They don’t trust their voice unless it’s been rewritten for them. They don’t trust their opinions unless they’ve been validated by AI. They don’t trust their content unless it is perfected & sounds optimised. They don’t trust their intuition unless a chatbot agrees with it. This is not innovation, it's outsourcing your inner authority & I get it... When your nervous system has been overloaded for years, when you’ve been told you’re too much, too sensitive, too slow, too inconsistent & too emotional, you stop trusting your internal compass. You start looking outside. “Is this good enough?” “Does this make sense?” “Is this the right move?” “Am I allowed to think this?” AI will always give you something back. It’s designed to be helpful, to sound coherent, to make you feel smart, to stroke your ego & make you feel superior. But here’s the uncomfortable bit, if you cannot make a decision without external validation, that’s not strategy, that’s dysregulation. When the body doesn’t feel safe, it searches for certainty. So of course people are clinging to AI because it feels neutral & safe, it doesn’t judge you or roll its eyes & most importantly it doesn’t reject you. But it also cannot feel when something is true for you, it cannot sense the subtle body shift that says yes. It cannot feel the contraction that says no & it cannot read the moment your system needs rest, not optimisation. Self-trust doesn’t come from better wording, it comes from regulation. It comes from being steady enough in your body that you can tolerate your own thoughts without needing them approved. This is why I care so much about the work I do, not because I want to replace AI, not because I want to demonise technology. But because I want people to stop abandoning themselves in the process. The Mini Portal opens on Monday. Just 3 more sleeps! 🥹 It’s not about “finding your highest frequency”, rewriting your personality or becoming more impressive. It’s about stabilising your nervous system enough that you can hear yourself again. YOUR voice. YOUR opinion. YOUR intuition. Without asking permission from a machine first... If your body read this & felt a quiet exhale, that’s usually the sign. Not hype or pressure, just a return to yourself.

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Are you a s*xual wellness professional struggling to overcome the challenges of shadowbanning and censorship on social media? Your message is too important to stay hidden! Introducing A Guide to Shadowbanning & Censorship, the ultimate resource to help you navigate platform restrictions and amplify your voice in the digital space. What’s Inside the Guide? 💡 Chapter 1: Introduction to Shadowbanning Understand what shadowbanning is, how it works, and why it disproportionately affects content creators in the s*xual wellness industry. 🔍 Chapter 2: How to Check if You’re Shadowbanned Practical steps to uncover whether your content is being suppressed, so you can take informed action. 🚧 Chapter 3: How to Avoid Becoming Shadowbanned Proven strategies to protect your posts from being flagged and maintain your visibility online. 🛠️ Chapter 4: How to Fix Being Shadowbanned Step-by-step guidance to recover from shadowbanning and regain control over your online presence. 💬 Chapter 5: Message Templates Time-saving, pre-written templates to help you communicate effectively with platforms about censorship issues. #️⃣ Chapter 6: How to Find Out if a Word or Hashtag is Banned on Instagram Learn how to identify banned hashtags and words that could be limiting your reach. ❓ Chapter 7: FAQs About Shadowbanning Comprehensive answers to the most pressing questions about shadowbanning, censorship, and social media algorithms. S*xual wellness professionals often face unfair scrutiny on social media platforms. A Guide to Shadowbanning & Censorship is designed to equip you with the tools, strategies, and confidence to protect your content and connect with your audience without fear of being silenced. Get your guide https://lnkd.in/edq2BA5t #censorship #censorshipisbullshit #censorshipfree #shadowbanned #shadowban #shadownbanning #socialmedia #smm #socialmediamanager #guides #socialmediassistant

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Donella Meadows brilliantly observed that systems thinking, while seemingly new, “traffics in traditional wisdom.” Learn how that 'traditional wisdom' is powerfully encoded within the epic stories we tell – and how you can use it to improve your own storytelling. That's the core journey of my new podcast, Mythos and Modalities, launching in just a couple of weeks! As a mythologist and systems thinker, I dissect classic epics, uncovering their deep structural patterns and timeless narrative mechanics. The goal? To provide actionable advice for storytellers on how to craft more resonant, impactful narratives by understanding the systems within and around them. If you're a storyteller, writer, or creative professional ready to elevate your craft with insights from ancient wisdom and modern systems thinking, this podcast is for you. Get ready to revolutionize your storytelling. Follow so you don't miss our premiere episode! #Storytelling #Mythology #SystemsThinking #DonellaMeadows #NarrativeDesign #CreativeProcess #PodcastLaunch #WritingTips #MythosAndModalities

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Economic abuse is incredibly common, yet still widely misunderstood. When money becomes a tool of control, it stops being about finances — and becomes a form of violence. For survivors, especially where children are involved, financial control can create a chain that feels almost impossible to break. Abusers may restrict access to money, sabotage employment, create debt in the survivor’s name, or manipulate child-related expenses to maintain power. The result is often devastating: survivors and their children are left in cycles of poverty, insecurity, and dependence long after the relationship has ended. Economic abuse is not a lack of financial literacy — it is coercion, restriction, and control. And naming it is the first step toward breaking the cycle. #16days #ecconomicabuse #domesticabuse

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“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument” This is such a good line, from Jess Phillips' resignation letter to Keir Starmer today. Conflict avoidance doesn't just make us anxious and unhappy, it robs us of opportunities to gain momentum and be creative together. At its root is a discomfort with anger – our own, and other people's. There is a chapter in my book – out now in paperback – about how to get over that in the work place. https://lnkd.in/eXQ3QWAP

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Your ears catch what your eyes don't. Imagine this. You've written the best piece of your life and painstakingly edited line by line. Then you reach the proofreading process, and the words start to run together like raindrops on a windshield. You have a deadline to meet, but you're no longer confident your eyes will catch those grammatical errors that make or break even the best piece of writing. Know what I'm talking about? Read your writing out loud. It's one of the best ways to check for typos, correct punctuation, and catch the surface-level errors of your writing that, without revision, rip your readers straight out of their immersion. Write it first. Read it over. Say it out loud, and listen as you speak. #writing #editing #contentwriting

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The TWO techniques that will transform your public speaking The job of being a writer often encompasses things that we didn’t think about as we concentrate on plot, characterisation, pace, language…you know, all the writerly bits that we love. Once published, we expected to be marketing experts, social media whizzes, write compelling features for the media (and our Substack) and – and here’s the one that most often strikes fear into the hearts of writers – give talks. Actually stand up in front of strangers and speak confidently. I’m naturally shy, and the thought of talking about myself makes my stomach do weird things. But, like most authors, I’ve had to get over this. So now I’m going to let you in on the trick I stumbled across. First, I must explain my background: I’m a journalist. When I was 19 I got my first job, as a trainee (then known as a cub reporter) on my local weekly newspaper. Back then, my shyness was almost crippling, but the idea of becoming a reporter, of hearing people’s stories and telling them, lit a fire inside me that made me want to push myself. Even leaving messages on answer machines made me feel tongue-tied, so I would write a little script before calling, so that I knew exactly what to say. Thus began a lifetime habit of preparation in order to hide nerves. Interviewing others eventually became second nature to me as I went on to write for national newspapers and magazines. It’s something I still enjoy hugely. But the first time I was asked to give a talk as an author? That was completely different. Suddenly, I was expected to be the one doing all the talking. The one the spotlight was one. And writing novels is so different from writing news articles, or features for magazines. It’s more personal - even though it is, of course, the character’s tale, it is something we have pulled from ourselves over a period of months, and breathed life into. What on earth would I talk about? Why would anyone be interested in anything I had to say? My mind was an utter blank regarding content. Even if I thought of SOMETHING to say, I felt ill at the thought of standing in front of others and actually saying it. I felt like that 19-year-old shy young woman again. But perhaps there was something I could learn from her. Preparation. First, I decided to remove myself from the equation... TO READ THE POST IN FULL, GO TO MY SUBSTACK, WRITERIGHTRITES https://lnkd.in/ecfMViCD

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I am continuing my series of being positive about autism, which I feel we all need now. Here is my latest one about triggers. https://lnkd.in/ewKZcEZy

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As the world heats and our northern waterways dry up, we all need to prioritize water as the lifeblood that it is. Listen to this succinct analysis from Katlia, then pick a water conservation project and get to work! Here’s more on Great Bear Lake’s Water Heart, a story I wrote for Canadian Geographic. https://lnkd.in/gXYBWRPm

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I've just watched the recording of the Woman Alive podcast – Happy International Women's Day, ladies – which I was delighted to be invited to by Tola Doll Fisher. The topic was 'Why Christian Sisterhood is Sacred' and one of the highlights, for me, was when they answered anonymous questions from the audience. The final question – about how they had healed or navigated a betrayal by a sister – was mine. (So, anonymous no more!) What followed were some of the most vulnerable moments of the entire discussion. 😢 But the moment that stopped me in my tracks was when Alisa Latty-Alleyne FCMI EMBA Scholar honoured a church sister who had been courageous enough to share a word with her. She said: "Courageous obedience is when God gives you something to then share with someone. You never know how – or what – that will do to transform them." Someone is waiting on the other side of your unfinished manuscript. 👀🙏🏾🤔 Not your editor. (Well, that's not exactly true – I'm waiting!) Not your publisher. A real person – carrying a real weight – who needs exactly what God told you to write. It's time for some courageous obedience. I've worked with authors who have rewritten chapter one so many times they could recite it in their sleep. Not because it was bad, but because finishing felt terrifying, like handing their baby over to a stranger. What if it's not good enough? What if no one cares? 😳 Here's what I've witnessed again and again: the moment an author finally submits their manuscript, something shifts. They describe it as a weight lifting. Because deep down, they always knew this wasn't "just" their book. It was their assignment. God didn't call you to write a bestseller. He called you to be faithful with what He gave you to say. So, here's where to start: 1) REMEMBER why you started — revisit your prayer journals; reread the times God spoke to you about this 2) WRITE for the one person who needs it — visualise that individual; your book isn't "for everyone" 3) FINISH as an act of faithfulness — and get it edited professionally as an act of excellence Your readers can't get their breakthrough from a book that's still on your Google drive. Or worse — still in your head. 🤯 It's time. 📩 If your manuscript will be available in June and you're ready for some courageous obedience, DM me the word COURAGE (sooner rather than later) and I'll be in touch. ***** If I’m new to you, I’m Jackie aka “The Corset for Flabby Writing”®. I could be the Christian copyeditor for you, if you're a nonfiction author, minister, speaker or business owner. Let's find out.

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Here are 5 things you must do—simple things you may overlook—to build your extended #familytree from a very limited number of #genealogy records. https://lnkd.in/e9cgn6Qi

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🎙️ New Episode Out Now | Write Angles – Unfiltered Voices Mary Anastasiou isn’t here to sugarcoat it — and that’s exactly what makes this episode so good. In Episode 18, Mary shares what so many writers need to hear: ✍️ A great idea isn’t enough — hone your craft. 🎯 Just because you can publish doesn’t mean you should. 📣 Start showing up as an author before your book is finished. 🏬 Think like a bookstore — not just a single product. This episode is packed with clarity, strategy, and career-level mindset shifts. 🎧 Listen on Spotify 📺 Watch on YouTube Celebrating the real stories behind self-published authors. #UnfilteredVoices #WriteAnglesPodcast #AuthorStrategy #CreativeMindset #PublishingTruth #WritersOfLinkedIn #JustRightWords

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