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 and metaphors from Jonathan Lee… The novel High Dive has an arresting plot. It’s the fictionalized re-telling of an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984, while she […]
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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: ferrule… After hearing a radio interview with author Jonathan Lee I decided his novel, High Dive, would interest me. The book is a fictionalized
Reading time: Just over 2 minutes You might want to write a book, a thesis, or a big report but you’ve lost your steam with long-term project motivation. Here’s how to get it back… Imagine that you’re a farmer. First, you need to select your crops. Then you must prepare
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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 with advice from Umberto Eco… Umberto Eco, who died earlier this year at
Umberto Eco: Be a corporal first… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Being creative can also be messy. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a plan or a process to rely upon. Here’s how Walt Disney approached creative thinking… I’ve written before about the six thinking hats of Edward de Bono. But did you know
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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 similes and metaphors from New York Times columnist Frank Bruni… I had resolved not to write another word about Donald Trump but New York
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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: batholith I read the book The Mountain Story by Canadian novelist Lori Lansens for one reason: Another novel of hers, The Girls, sits near
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes If you’re a defensive pessimist, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn how to prepare for rejection… I tend to see myself as confident rather than anxious. I know what I’m good at. I work hard. I have
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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 book written by Patricia Goodson… My favourite book for academic writers is They Say, I Say,
Exercises to help your writing Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute The challenge of slogan-writing should become clear when you listen to the genesis of the phrase: from showers to flowers… In listening to a podcast last week (apologies — I failed to remember the name of the podcast) I heard a politician reflect on a political message that had gone awry. The
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