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 an article and video about Kurt Vonnegut… I have a confession to make: I’ve never read a single book by Kurt Vonnegut (1922 […]
You will be writing about your own life anyway… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Friendship is a gift but sometimes there’s a downside to Facebook friends… The recent terrorist attacks in Paris have raised a secondary issue relating to social media. Who are our “friends” and what do we expect of them? I’m not talking about countries here. Nor am I talking about political
The downside to Facebook friends… 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 metaphor relating to a new book about the writer Joan Didion… I’m a huge fan of the writer Joan Didion. Two of her books — The Year of Magical Thinking and
The figurative language of Joan Didion… 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: carapace… When brand new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked why he made some 50% of his cabinet female, he quickly commented, “because it’s 2015.” (You can
What’s the origin of the word carapace? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Some people think meditation should be reserved for monks and hippies. I disagree. Many business people are starting to meditate and I’m a big believer in meditation for writers. Many years ago, when my kids were young, I took a course in meditation. Each Monday night I headed out
Why and how to meditate — even if you think it’s crazy 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 video on the perils of objectivity prepared by a group called The Lab, in conjunction with Canon Australia… For some
The perils of believing in objectivity… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute A picture is worth a thousand words, as the expression has it. So is a sign in a window…. There’s a store not far from where I live. It used to be a corner grocery, but it was either sold or rebranded as a produce outlet about a year ago. I
Dear valued customers…. 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 metaphor from Ruth Pennebaker. Both my grandmothers and two of my aunts had breast cancer. I’ve stopped my endless to fretting about my risk, but I still read breast-cancer stories in newspapers
The figurative language of Ruth Pennebaker… 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: panoply. I’ve known for some years that the noun panoply means an impressive array or collection of things. For example, you might have a panoply of musical instruments.
What does “panoply” mean? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time Christmas gift-giving? Here’s my semi-annual roundup — this time of books I’ve read since June. I aim to read 52 books every 12 months and my habit is to post the names of them for you, twice a year. This past June, I
Recommended books: winter 2015 Read More »
