Reading time: About 2 minutes Walking in nature is one of the ways Dhana Musil inspires herself to write. She says it helps prepare her for long periods of sitting and creating… Dhana Musil lives on the unceded and occupied territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh people in British Columbia, Canada. She is a […]
Reflections on writing with Dhana Musil… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Reading will cost you only your time. But it will pay you back by teaching you how to write. Here’s how to read your way to better writing… When I meet with writers, one of my first questions is often, “What do you like to read?” This isn’t just social
How to read your way to better writing Read More »
Reading time: About 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 containing writing advice from the pros… I’m generally a bit skeptical of taking advice from “successful” authors. Yes, their
Some writing advice from the pros… Read More »
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 metaphors and similes from Mark Salzman… There are two reasons to read the excellent 2012 book The Man in the Empty Boat written by Mark Salzman. First, it tells
The figurative language of Mark Salzman Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Kent Shwendy says that all writers need to develop their own methods and styles for getting words on the page. What works for one person might be ineffective for the next… Kent Schwendy is an engineer and military veteran who balances his day job as a corporate executive with his
Reflections on writing with Kent Schwendy… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re bad at estimating time for your own writing, check out my post below. I have some useful tips for you. I’m pretty accurate at estimating my writing time now. But it wasn’t always this way. I’ll never forget the writing job I figured it would take me four
Why writers are so bad at estimating time (and how to fix it) Read More »
Reading time: About 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 book proposal comps…. Many writers ask me about how to choose their book comps, while a smaller number
How can you find book proposal comps? Read More »
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 Gail Caldwell…. I wrote recently about a New York Times piece by Gail Caldwell, an American critic and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for
Figurative language from Gail Caldwell Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Judy LeBlanc cherishes the Chekov quote: Chekhov quote, “To make a face out of marble means to take away everything but the face,” because she appreciates the sculpting metaphor. Judy LeBlanc’s stories and essays have appeared in magazines, most recently Geist, 2025, and in Don’t Tell: Family Secrets. She’s the author of The Promise
Reflections on writing with Judy LeBlanc…. Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you a fan of writers’ critique groups? If so, I suggest you use them for nothing more than accountability… I’m about to commit professional heresy, so buckle up. This might sound curmudgeonly — okay, it’s definitely curmudgeonly — but after 46 years in this business, I’ve earned the right
The uncomfortable truth about writers’ critique groups Read More »
