Shirley
is a feature writer contributing features on real estate, tourism, hospitality, business, as well as food & beverage. She also writes fiction, life stories and memoirs.
Shirley’s strength is her ability to write in simple, clear terms to bring the reader into her features and stories. She has a positive mindset and can adapt well and write for different media and produce what her readers require without problems. She listens to her clients’ requirements and takes instructions well.
Shirley is widely travelled, having lived in several countries before settling in New Zealand for over a decade. This exposure has added much value to her writing style and perspective.
Born in Singapore and with English as her first language, Shirley writes clearly and simply. She has the natural ability to bring her readers into her stories and her unique approach makes each one easy and interesting to read. Her ability to draw her readers into her writing is mainly due to her understanding of her reading audience.
Studies and leisure have brought her from Singapore to life in many countries in the world. Her diverse multicultural environment and friends, extensive travels, natural curiosity, interest in various subjects and a healthy respect for diverse cultures have resulted in her refreshing perspective that shows up in her work.
Shirley marvels at the beauty of well-written words and respects the work of many authors, both fiction and non-fiction. Her favourites are To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the works of Pulitzer Prize winner, feature journalist, Rick Bragg.
Shirley has a great love for animals and is always interested in helping with animal welfare issues. Far from her familiar cosmopolitan city life, she now lives in rural bliss where she writes fiction, creative non-fiction, memoirs and life stories besides features. She shares her country haven with her rescued pets, from rabbits, to dogs, goats and sheep who spend their golden years in comfort and with deserved love and care.
Shirley is a self-taught painter, loves crafts, cooking, baking, entertaining and values her friends. Not the desk bound writer as one would imagine, Shirley swims, does gym work and walks her dogs regularly.
Here, Shirley displays only some of her work as a feature writer and contributor.
The difficulty of literature is not to write but to write what you mean – Robert Louis Stevenson