Power Writing began as a weekly newsletter in April 2006. Its purpose? To give tips and advice about writing, to tell interesting stories and to help writers everywhere work faster, better. I distribute the newsletter by email to thousands of readers around the world every week and, since March 2012, it has become the Tuesday entry of my blog.
You can read many Power Writing entries here – I back-entered all columns until the beginning of 2009, and a handful of ones that were earlier than that. But I hope you’ll consider subscribing, too. Just enter your name and email in the box next to my photo on the home page of my website. If you do that, you’ll not only receive Power Writing by email each week, you’ll also automatically get access to a 10-minute video on how to unblock your writing.
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’ve never learned how to forgive yourself for not writing, take a few minutes to learn how to do that today…. I was eight years old, and a neighbourhood friend — the same age as me — dropped by to visit. I opened the door […]
7 ways to forgive yourself for not writing Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes From reluctant reader to 52 books a year: your guide to reading more begins with finding what you actually love… I read at least 52 books every year. As a result, people often ask me how they can boost their reading efforts habits (let’s face
From reluctant reader to literary lover: Your guide to reading more Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you lose writing time to doomscrolling? Here are seven ways to stop doomscrolling… Are you guilty of doomscrolling? I know I am! And frankly, I’m getting tired of my own nonsense. My distraction of choice is the New York Times, and I’ll scroll through
Seven ways to stop doomscrolling and start writing Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you been misled into thinking that writing improvement is always linear — moving forward in a predictable way? A recent email from a client started me thinking about the lies we tell ourselves about progress. Here, in part, is what she said: “I am
Why your writing looks more like a roller coaster than a staircase Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Many of us spend huge chunks of our days writing email. If this is one of your jobs, here’s how to write better email…. Did you know that more than half of people who receive email cite it as a source of workplace complexity, confusion
How to write better email Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Spending a bit of money will sometimes save you a lot of time (which, funnily enough, translates into money). Check out these free or cheapish apps for writers to improve your effectiveness…. I like to work in a fast, focused way so I have more
How to get some inexpensive help from your digital friends Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you love editing but hate writing, you may simply be too judgmental for your own good. Here’s how to stop being judgy….   Some people call me opinionated. Others, judgy. Still others, determined. A few brave souls have even called me “delightfully obstinate” —
How writers can stop being judgy Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you have enough grit? Take a page from the book of my husband’s cousin’s family… My family and I go up to British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast every summer to visit my husband’s fabulous cousins. We’re really close to these folks, not just because they’re
Why writers need more than talent (a beach story) Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Does this seem to be the wrong time of year to talk about writing resolutions? It’s not! Would you appreciate it if inspiration showed up in your writing life more often? I can help you with that. My one-hour class, The Inspiration Power Hour, takes
How to resurrect your dead writing resolutions Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Do you allow enough writing time for yourself? Or does it get squeezed out of your schedule? If you think money is your most precious resource, think again, my friend. I’m not saying this to suggest we should forgo pay for the work we do.
Why your bank account isn’t your most precious resource (plot twist inside) Read More »
