Reading time: About 3 minutes Looking for summer book suggestions? I’m on track for reaching my year-end goal of reading 52 books and here is my semi-annual accounting that may give you some reading ideas of your own. My habit is to post for you the names of ALL the books I’ve read, twice a […]
Recommended books: Summer 2014 Read More »
Reading time: About 2 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 an article written by New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer. What parts of our brains are working when we write? That question has fascinated me
What part of your brain does the writing? Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes If you’ve never heard of the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, you’re not alone. It’s a relatively rare disorder but that doesn’t make it unimportant… I took part in the Scotiabank half marathon last weekend. Let me stress: I am not a marathoner or even a half-marathoner. I was participating in the
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 Calvin Trillin… I can no longer remember the first time I tasted fresh mozzarella but I think I was about 25. It was a life-changing moment. The freshness!
The figurative language of Calvin Trillin… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 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: paresis. I almost tried to write today’s post in rhyming couplets. This is because my word of the week comes from the marvellous rhyming novel Love, Dishonour, Marry,
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you need to write? Here are some suggestions for how to improve your focus… As I write this column, I’m feeling overwhelmed. Why? I just said goodbye to a contractor who carved a hole in our dining-room ceiling. He was investigating a leak
How to improve your focus Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles of interest to other writers. Today I discuss an article written by Clay Shirkey. I began my working life in newspapers. My parents owned a struggling weekly and
Nostalgia and newspapers Read More »
Reading time: About 1.5 minutes Have you ever thought of hiring a professional proofreader? Here’s why you should take the idea seriously…. I work with many clients who — in addition to having me write or edit — also hire me to coordinate their various suppliers. These might include graphic artists, printers, WordPress experts, filmmakers
Why you need professional proofreader Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a simile from Emily Nussbaum… Here’s one of the reasons I read The New Yorker each week. It allows me to learn about things I would never in a million years otherwise know. For example: online
The figurative language of Emily Nussbaum… Read More »
Reading time: About 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: helter-skelter… I’ve known the meaning of the adverb and adjective helter-skelter for at least 45 years. It means something done in a haphazard manner or with undue haste or confusion.
What’s a helter-skelter? Read More »
