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 Gail Caldwell…. I wrote recently about a New York Times piece by Gail Caldwell, an American critic and winner of […]
Figurative language from Gail Caldwell Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Judy LeBlanc cherishes the Chekov quote: Chekhov quote, “To make a face out of marble means to take away everything but the face,” because she appreciates the sculpting metaphor. Judy LeBlanc’s stories and essays have appeared in magazines, most recently Geist, 2025, and in Don’t Tell: Family
Reflections on writing with Judy LeBlanc…. Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you a fan of writers’ critique groups? If so, I suggest you use them for nothing more than accountability… I’m about to commit professional heresy, so buckle up. This might sound curmudgeonly — okay, it’s definitely curmudgeonly — but after 46 years in this
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Reading time: About 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 blog post about showing vulnerability in writing… Have you ever allowed yourself to show vulnerability in
Are you ready to show vulnerability in your writing? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Robin Sloan…. I’ve been a moderately serious home cook for many years — always baking cakes from scratch and
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Reading time: About 2 minutes Ashraf Zaghal says that true originality comes from how a story is told, not from the novelty of the concept. Born in Jerusalem, Ashraf Zaghal moved to Toronto in 2006 to study Environmental Engineering. Between 1998 and 2016, he published four poetry collections in Arabic:
Reflections on writing with Ashraf Zaghal… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you feel that perfectionism is killing your writing? Here are some simple actions that will help liberate you… My mother often gave me the chore of dusting our living room when I was a six-year-old. And when it came to dealing with the bookshelves
Perfectionism is killing your writing (and how to fight back) Read More »
Reading time: About 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 blog post about the value of getting enough slack time… Many people who are self-employed believe
Do you have enough slack time in your day? Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about metaphors from Susan Orlean… I’ve been a fan of Susan Orlean for many years. But with the publication of her aptly-named memoir, Joyride, I’ve become a bone
The figurative language of Susan Orlean… Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Christopher Amato likes to take writing advice from Ben Franklin, who said, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Christopher Amato always dreamed of working in law enforcement. After earning a degree with honors in criminology from Florida State University, he served
Reflections on writing with Christopher Amato… Read More »
