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: blag…. As soon as I heard about the 2018 book with an almost irresistible title — My Sister, the Serial Killer — I knew I was going […]
What does the word ‘blag’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 6 minutes (and very scannable) Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, focusing on the most useful, helpful and healthful pieces for writers. As summer starts to settle in, I’m feeling sun on my face and arms, going for socially distanced picnics and making tentative plans to
PubCoach Top 10: June 2020 Read More »
Because you’ve signed up for Get It Done, I assume you want to increase your productivity as a writer. The biggest secret to achieving that goal lies with the idea of managing your attention rather than your time. What’s the difference? Focusing on time makes you ask a question like: “How do I get these
How to manage your attention, not your time Read More »
Do you ever need to pursue different types of writing? This demand can be frightening — or frustrating — to some writers but there are steps you can take to make the transition easier. Here is what you can do: 1-Be aware of the different styles in which you need to write. Most writing experts
How to move between different types of writing 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: gadabout… When I read Gail Caldwell’s marvellous book, Let’s Take the Long Way Home — a remarkable paean to friendship — one line struck me with particular
What’s the origin of the word ‘gadabout’? Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes If you’ve ever considered going back to school, you may have asked yourself whether you should get an MFA. Today’s post looks at that idea in some detail. When I was in my 30s, I briefly considered going back to school and getting an MBA — Masters of Business Administration.
Should you get an MFA? Read More »
Are you the type of person who lives up to the writing-related commitments you make to yourself? You want to research for 45 minutes each day? Or perhaps you’d prefer to write for 15 minutes? Or let’s say you want to produce 550 words daily? Or maybe your goal is to finish editing your book
How to turn your bad writing habits into good ones 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: geschrei… When I read the very funny and urbane book Dreyer’s English by Benjamin Dryer, I was expecting to be both amused and educated. But I wasn’t
What does it mean to ‘geschrei’? Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes Are you tired of being interrupted? A host of people — from needy children to noisy neighbours — can derail you if you don’t protect your writing from interruptions… As I write this column, a contractor sits in our front yard using a skill-saw. He’s rebuilding the railings and balusters
Protect your writing from interruptions — here’s how Read More »
Many of the writers who work with me begin with one of two problems: They are unhappy with how long it takes them to write, OR They are unhappy with the quality of their writing. I write frequently about problem number one, suggesting such tools as pomdoros, tracking plans and breaking the habit of editing
Don’t mow the same grass twice! Read More »
