Reading time: About 7 minutes In the season after Christmas, when life seems flat and winter feels cold, dark and endless, I like to settle in by the fire and wrap my fingers around a steaming cup of fine reading. Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, culled from more than an entire […]
PubCoach Top 10: January 2020 Read More »
Is your big writing project starting to make you feel OVERWHELMED? Here are seven tips that will not only help you feel better but that will also make you a more productive writer: Take a break: The biggest part of your problem may be that your “well” isn’t full enough. Just as a conventional well
How to reduce your feelings of being overwhelmed Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Do you usually struggle with your annual self-improvement plans? Here’s a better way to view New Year’s resolutions for writers…. You may wonder why I’m writing about New Year’s resolutions on Jan. 6. Haven’t I missed the deadline — the biggest scariest, most important deadline in the entire year? Actually, no.… I’m
The truth about New Year’s resolutions Read More »
Many writers don’t understand the value of giving their piece of writing a substantive edit (also known as a developmental edit or a comprehensive edit.) In fact, some writers don’t even know what these terms mean! In substantive editing your goal is to consider a document’s concept and content, intended use, organization, design, and style. The
Why and how to do substantive editing Read More »
I usually try to take off the week between Christmas and New Year’s as a chance to relax, regroup and plan for the next season. This year, however, I’m doing something a little different. I’m holding back my regular Tuesday blog post (AKA “Power Writing”), which should be delivered on Christmas Eve, and I’ll be
Taking my annual Christmas break Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Here is a brief summary of the top pubcoach blog posts for 2019. Happy New Year to all my readers! I write each installment of Power Writing with high hopes about how it might interest — and help — my readers. Some topics, I can tell, are right on
Best Pubcoach blog posts for 2019 Read More »
We have ALL had bad writing days. I’m sure you know what I mean by that phrase. Days where you really, really, really don’t feel like writing Days where you’d be happier doing anything else (even cleaning the kitty litter box; even doing your income taxes) Days where you stare at a blank screen until
What to do when you’re having a bad writing day Read More »
Are you paying enough attention to your breathing? This might sound like a question better directed to an athlete but I’m convinced it’s important for writers as well. Researcher Linda Stone calls the issue email apnea — a term borrowed from “sleep apnea” — a medical condition in which people stop breathing for a few seconds at
Quick, check your breathing Read More »
Sometimes I fear that I promote mindmapping too much, as though it were an all-purpose cure to every writing problem in existence. It’s not. But it is an extremely valuable tool or technique for people who have a hard time facing the blank screen. It’s also a good way to inject some more creativity into
How mindmapping can help you Read More »
Reading time: About six minutes Every month I scour the internet malls pawing through more than 100 blogs and magazines with advice on writing. And each time I select 10 of the most beautiful, useful articles and wrap them up in recyclable but sparkly paper just for you. Here’s your latest top 10: Use the
PubCoach Top 10: December 2019 Read More »
