Reading time: About 2 minutes Meg Todd has a motto for writing: Get it down as fast as you can, and then edit slowly. Meg Todd grew up in the Alberta prairies. Her novel, Most Grievous Fault, was released in the fall of 2025. Exit Strategies, her debut short story collection, was a finalist for both the […]
Reflections on writing with Meg Todd… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Writing feels hard for many people. Check out my eight suggestions for dealing with that problem. I’m running a one-hour class on revising this week — perfect for writers who’ve taken courses with me before, though of course anyone can jump in. We’ll tackle structure, clarity and how to polish
Why writing feels hard (it’s not you — it’s the setup) Read More »
Reading time: Less than one minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about the writing speed of romance novelists. When I meet with new clients, I ask them to tell
Writing speed? 2,500 words per hour Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes from the American writer Curtis Sittenfeld…. I heard about novelist Curtis Sittenfeld thanks to the release of her 2020 book, an alternate political novel about the life of Hillary Clinton.
The figurative language of Curtis Sittenfeld Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Little bits of writing count, even just a few minutes’ worth, according to successful writer Renée Sarojini Saklika…. Renée Sarojini Saklikar is the author of six books, including the award-winning Children of Air India and Listening to the Bees. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, including Exile
Reflections on writing with Renée Sarojini Saklikar… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you know how to fix writing weaknesses? Do you recognize them when they appear in your drafts? Learning to deal with weakness is an important step for any writer… Let’s tackle your writing headaches together! Join me for a free live Q&A on April 2 at 1 p.m. Pacific
Your writing has a weakness. Here’s how to find it (and defeat it) Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a TED talk delivered by Anne Lamott…. I’ve been a fan of Anne Lamott for more than 20 years — since
Writing (and living) advice from Anne Lamott… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes and metaphors from Kristin Kimball… When I heard about a memoir telling the story of a Manhattan-based writer who left her job to become a farmer —
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Reading time: About 2 minutes Leah Miles cherishes a little metal tag she keeps stuck to her computer. It says: “Write like you’re running out of time.” Leah Miles grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and planned to have a career as either a television anchor or a successful author. After getting a bachelor’s degree in
Reflections on writing with Leah Miles… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Don’t let writer’s guilt prey on your nerves or get in your way! It’s a totally unnecessary emotion… When I wrote my honours thesis in poli sci many decades ago, I was consumed with guilt. I’d taken too long. I’d changed my topic once and wanted to change it again
Why writer’s guilt is lying to you (and how to stop believing it) Read More »
