Word count: 237 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Will Ferguson… I wrote yesterday about the political-psychological thriller 419 by Will […]
They were taut-torsoed men… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I present a simile from Canadian writer Will Ferguson. I often start my day with a pitchfork, cleaning out my spam folder. Too often, the junk mails come from
The figurative language of Will Ferguson.. Read More »
Word count: 270 words 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: skein. I know a skein is a length of wool or yarn but when I encountered the word
Word count: 722 words Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Are you one of those people who thinks that change is bad? Read on to learn about the benefits of fluctuations… My husband and I went for a walk in Capilano Canyon last week. We skipped the famous suspension bridge
3 simple reasons to accept fluctuations Read More »
Word count: 246 words 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 writers. Today I discuss a study on “emotional writing” from the University of Auckland…. Is the act of
Can writing help you heal? Read More »
Word count: 363 words Reading time: About 1.5 minutes A great way to improve your writing is to emulate the work of others. That’s why, every week, I present a sentence that I’d happily imitate. Today’s comes from Tobias Wolff. I’ve worshipped the writing of Tobias Wolff (pictured above) ever since
He thought it when he saw the three women together Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I discuss a metaphor that Jill Lepore offers in the New Yorker. I didn’t know that Benjamin Franklin had had seven sisters! Somehow, they faded into the dark recesses of
The figurative language of Jill Lepore… Read More »
Word count: 269 words 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: picaresque. I don’t typically look at either Time Magazine or Macleans. But there I was, sitting in a doctor’s office,
What does picaresque mean? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Most people don’t deliberately do things wrong. But if you really thought about it, what would you try to do differently? I admit it. I borrowed this column idea (and headline) from someone else. Her name is Penelope Trunk. I read her blog weekly and
Writers: are you making bad decisions (like me)? Read More »
Word count: 300 words 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 to help writers. Today I discuss an article written by novelist Silas House… I’ve not yet written any fiction,
Give them what’s in a character’s brain… Read More »
