We've been longlisted

Stig for CF Ireland has been longlisted for the Irish Blog Awards. Thanks to Damien for continuing to organise these awards.

This is the third year we've made it to the long list stage. This blog has been nominated in the Best Specialist Blog category and faces stiff competition, not least of which comes from Piaras and Colm, if it is to make the shortlist for the first time ever. Thanks to everyone who has read and contributed to this blog including: Sinead and Blair who provided guest posts this year, Coilin Duffy and Ciaran Ruane who helped provide content including live blog coverage of the New York City marathon, John Healy who was our webmaster, and everyone that played a part in the numerous videos we made this year.

We'll let you know if the third time is the charm as soon as the nominations for the shortlist are out.

EDIT: Apparently the list published is not the long list as such so we'll have to wait and see if this blog post title is correct.

FURTHER EDIT: It turns out that while we don't know if it's longlisted, this is still formally considered a nomination so I've edited to included the above pic.

Guest post by Blair Hurley

I'm delighted to present the first ever guest post on this blog. Fellow blogger Blair Hurley, is a creative writing student and author of Creative Writing Corner which is one of my favourite blogs.

I've previously guest posted on her blog and it's great to have her deliver some of her insights into writing to the readers of STIG for CF Ireland. Enjoy.

Fighting Information Overload
Writers today face unique challenges. The internet and television has surrounded us with wave upon wave of information and content, so that we frequently feel swamped and overstimulated. This overstimulation leaves us desensitized to beautiful writing or a poignant story. It's the job of writers, though, to bring us back to a state of sensitivity and appreciation for things, to make the world beautiful again instead merely a blur. So here are a few tips for fighting information overload and making distinct details in your writing seem special again.

When you write, just write. We've all become powerful multi-taskers these days, with our ability to switch instantly from email to websurfing to chatting with friends to a document. The truth of the matter is, though, that these tasks will inevitably bleed into one another. The chatspeak you use with a friend isn't the best frame of mind for writing creatively; nor is internet surfing or even reading serious journalistic articles online such as the New York Times. When you write creatively, don't multi-task. Hone in on your subject and give it all of your attention. Not only will your writing improve, you'll probably feel glad afterwards to have gotten a little break for your brain. Changing mental tv channels so rapidly can be exhausting.

Take notes on your story to identify key points. Before you begin writing, you can make key points stand out by identifying them beforehand. Take a few minutes to think about the most important parts of your writing and what you want to highlight. Imagine a few details standing like lighthouses in your mind, shedding illumination on the rest of the work. Write down those few important details in note form, then write around them. If you think about it this way and organize accordingly, your writing will naturally bring those details to the fore.

Appreciate and notice. Nabokov thought that the most important ingredient for leading a conscious life was in noticing details. His novels are masterworks of detail, begging for multiple readings just so all of the intricacy can be truly appreciated. The best way to create this intricacy in your own writing is to appreciate detail in your daily life. Stop for a moment to smell the roses, and remember what they smell like. Take in the colours, shapes, and smells of things. If your memory falters, keep a notebook and get it all down. The greatest problem with information overload is that our brains tend to do triage. They keep the broad sweeps of things and lose the details. Combat this tendency we all have by paying attention to the little things. Your writing -- and your consciousness -- will be enriched and stimulated as a result.

Blair Hurley is a student of Creative Writing and the author of Creative Writing Corner (www.writerlylife.com).

Keep an eye out for more guest posts from authoers of some of the other interesting blogs I've come across in the coming days and weeks.

Check out my guest post at Creative Writing Corner

I recently guest posted on teen writing at Blair Hurley's Creative Writing Corner blog. In the post I take a look at the impact the internet is having on the writing habits of teenagers, referencing a recent Pew study that found the positives largely outweighed the negatives.

I found Blair's blog around 9 months ago and have been regularly following it ever since. She's a very talented young writer that is currently studying in Princeton and her blog is well worth checking out.

Keep an eye out here on STIG for CF Ireland for a guest post from Blair in the near future.