Reading time: About 5 minutes Do you write relatively easily but find yourself overwhelmed when it comes to editing? Here is a complete self-editing checklist to make the job easier… I do many different kinds of work, but I have one favourite job. Editing a 750 to 1,200-word piece written by someone else. I like […]
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Reading time: Less than 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 written by Nick Ripatrazone… I had never heard of writer Nick Ripatrazone (pictured above) but it turns out he’s the
How to trick yourself into writing Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute If you ever do any media interviews it’s essential that you learn how to dress for TV. Here are some important tips… Are television cameras on their way to you? Here’s some advice about what not to wear. Avoid wearing white or black. Yes, I know you will sometimes see TV
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Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors from neurosurgeon Henry Marsh…. Henry Marsh is a neurosurgeon, not a professional writer. But like many Renaissance Men, he seems able to turn his hand to many tasks. I
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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: fo’c’s’le… I read the novel Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis because a friend highly recommended it and, to be honest, because it had won a couple of big awards
What’s a ‘fo’c’s’le’? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Has the handwritten thank you letter died a quiet death? If you were hoping the answer is yes, you’re wrong. The value of thank you notes is still significant to people who can help you… My mother seldom favoured arbitrary rules. I never had a curfew. She didn’t blink
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Reading time: Less than 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 newspaper article about writing anxiety… If you ever feel anxiety about your writing or even the hint of a suspicion that
Are you riven with writing anxiety? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute When you’re faced with a challenging problem or something that’s difficult to write do you give up or do you keep trying? Rube Goldberg (1883 – 1970) was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor best known for his zany machines that attacked simple tasks in as complicated a fashion
Why we should all keep trying 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: ontogeny… I discovered Ms Magazine when I was a teenager in the 1970s and I’ve long been interested in the work of Gloria Steinem. This year, however, when I read
What does ‘ontogeny’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Do you have bad writing habits? Check out this list and resolve to give yourself a fighting chance to become a much better — and more relaxed — writer… I never learned how to write when I was a journalist. My habits were already too dysfunctional. Years of higher
7 vexing habits guaranteed to wreck your writing Read More »
