Reading time: Less than 3 minutes In view of last week’s death of American Supreme Court associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I am re-running a column I wrote in 2017 focusing on some of her writing advice…. I have long admired the feistiness, clear writing style and commitment to hard work displayed by Ruth Bader […]
Writing advice from the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg Read More »
People in the Get It Done group are sometimes surprised when I suggest they plan NOT to write on certain days. Why do I make this counterintuitive suggestion? Basically, this idea is about common sense. On some days, we simply have too much else going on in our lives. Perhaps you are leading a workshop
When you should plan NOT to write Read More »
Reading time: About 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 Olaf Olafsson…. I often enjoy the clear, crisp, unadorned style of Scandinavian writers. I was struck by that feeling again recently when I read a
The figurative language of Olaf Olafsson…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Increase your vocabulary and you’ll make your writing much more precise. That’s why I provide a word of the week. Today’s word: glossolalic… As a former high school debater and debate coach, I don’t think I’ve ever before encountered debating as an event in a novel. Or, indeed, a
What does ‘glossolalic’ mean Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, focusing on the most useful, helpful and healthful pieces for writers. Covid, fires, floods, police violence, demonstrations, elections… What’s next? Swarming locusts? If you want a break from all the horror, check out 10 blog posts I’ve custom-picked for
PubCoach top 10: September 2020 Read More »
Many clients tell me — with something approaching shame in their voices — that they have no writing talent. Usually, they are surprised when I tell them it doesn’t matter. While talent makes life easier, it doesn’t eliminate the need for hard work. And many people with talent can’t be bothered doing the hard work.
Do you have a growth mindset? Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about several similes from American journalist Farhad Manjoo… Don’t panic or anything, but machines are learning how to write. New artificial intelligence software, called GPT-3, has been created by an artificial-intelligence research lab
The figurative language of Farhad Manjoo…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than one minute Increase your vocabulary and you’ll make your writing much more precise. That’s why I provide a word of the week. Today’s word: punctilious… In a riveting novel, a young nun is sent by the Vatican to investigate allegations of misconduct at a Catholic school in Iceland. Titled The Sacrament,
What does the word punctilious mean? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes A simple strategy like time-blocking can make a huge difference to your writing productivity — and to your ongoing happiness… Did my headline get your attention? If so, you may be wondering about the connection between better writing and better living. I’m also sure you’ve already guessed that my
How time-blocking can improve your writing — and your life Read More »
If you’re like many of the writers I work with, you often run out of time for writing. You may have a demanding family life. A difficult boss. Or a lot of people who depend on you. But the bigger problem may be your inability to say no. If you want to write, you need
Do you know how to say no? Read More »
