Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Several readers recently asked me how to eliminate the verb ‘to be’ in their writing. Here’s how… When Hamlet moaned, “to be or not to be, that is the question” he was actually reflecting the dark thoughts of many overworked editors. Writers frequently use the verb “to be” more […]
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Reading time: Less than two minutes 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 by Michael Nobbs…. Do you fail to write because the task seems too big or too daunting to you? I see this
Why you should rein in your big, hairy audacious goals… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute What do millennials really want? I can tell you they’re not interested in rocks… My son graduated from the University of BC this week. It was thrilling to see him cross the stage and accept his diploma (B. Mus.) — all the more so because he is dyslexic. For
UBC rocks — but not in a good way Read More »
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 simile from Rachel Joyce… I read the novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce, about three years ago and found it a delightful summer pastime. Harold Fry is a
The figurative language of Rachel Joyce…. 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: morganatic…. A Ukrainian-born Russian-registered cossack who became the lover of Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky was also rumoured to be something I’d never heard of: a morganatic husband. I learned
What does ‘morganatic’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes It used to be considered bad manners to wear a hat inside. No more! Here’s why you should always wear one of six writing hats when you’re at your computer… While I was reaching for a metaphor about writing last week, my brain suddenly latched onto the six thinking
How to find your six writing hats Read More »
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 Brain Pickings blog post about Annie Dillard… Annie Dillard is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both
Spend it all, counsels Annie Dillard Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minute Before you spend your money on a new computer, consider the issue of customer service… Since I started buying computers back in 1987, I’ve gone back and forth between PCs and Macs. But in recent years — ever since the release of the Vista operating system in 2006 — I’ve stuck with the
Great computers; lousy customer service Read More »
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 simile from Patricia Volk… Food-related memoirs hold a special place in my heart, perhaps because I grew up in a “foodie” family where, after finishing Christmas dinner we would inevitably push our
The figurative language of Patricia Volk… 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: perspicacity…. I’ve heard the word perspicacity since I was a child. I’ve probably even used it. But I could no longer remember what it meant when I encountered
What does ‘perspicacity’ mean? Read More »