Reading time: About 3 minutes If you want to become a better writer, you need to understand that writing practice beats theory every time… When I started learning how to write for newspapers, back in my late teens, I felt as though I was hitting my head against a wall. A brick one. Repeatedly. I […]
Stop reading about writing and start writing Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world for material to help other writers. Today I discuss how hobbies help you become a better writer…. Writers often believe the best way to improve their work is to spend more time writing or editing.
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Reading time: About 2 minutes Merrie-Ellen Wilcox says she can never restrict herself to reading a single book and can often be found starting whatever shiny new book happens to pass her by… A resident of Victoria, B.C., Merrie-Ellen Wilcox is a partner in West Coast Editorial Associates and has been writing and editing professionally since
Reflections on writing with Merrie-Ellen Wilcox… Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Don’t avoid the vulnerability of making decisions. Instead, learn how to deal with your analysis paralysis… Most of us get a certain delicious pleasure when we hear rhymes. The Cat in the Hat One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill Analysis Paralysis I hope that
Analysis paralysis is killing your writing — and here’s the antidote Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world for material to help other writers. Today I discuss how art is always a transaction… Every time an artist puts a painting on a gallery wall, writes a book, or posts something online, there’s an
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Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes from Carole Radziwill…. I can’t recall what caused me to pick up and read a book by Carole Radziwill. She’s not in my usual demographic! In 2011, she joined the cast
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Reading time: About 4 minutes Martha Bátiz says she’s never afraid or ashamed of early drafts. “They are the rock that you’ll slowly shape into a statue,” she says…. Martha Bátiz is an award-winning writer, translator, and professor of creative writing and Spanish language and literature. She is the author of five books, including the
Reflections on writing with Martha Bátiz… Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes No writing project ever goes perfectly. Today I describe what you can do when your writing hits an inevitable wall… Would you like to write without the angst and distress often associated with getting started. This is a reminder about my one-hour class, The Right-Hook Power Hour, on Thursday. If
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Reading time: Just over 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 how to sound more human….. Are you a writer who sounds like a robot rather than a
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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 from Elizabeth McCracken… Contemporary American writer Elizabeth McCracken has one of the best — most skillful — ears around for figurative language. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop,
Elizabeth McCracken: more figurative language…. Read More »
