Word count: About 288 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. If you have ever complained about not having enough time to write, I urge you […]
You have more time than you think Read More »
Word count: 234 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a paragraph I read recently that I’d happily imitate. The novel The Hand that First Held Mine, by Maggie O’Farrell, offers a refined
Particular attention to demonstrating surprise… Read More »
Word count: 266 words Reading time: About 1 minute If you increase your vocabulary you’ll not only help your reading, you’ll also make your writing more precise. Here is my word of the week: prolixity. One of the many great things about reading The New Yorker is that it allows
What is prolixity? Read More »
Word count: 753 words Reading time: About 3 minutes There are some funny similarities between writing and practicing piano…. I desperately wanted piano lessons as a child. Too bad for me my parents couldn’t afford them. Instead, I watched enviously as my classmates carried their music books under their arms
What practicing piano teaches you about writing Read More »
Word count: 277 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. A participant in my Extreme Writing Makeover course alerted me that she was writing a book
Becoming an academic writer Read More »
Word count: 238 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I received the marvellous book Swallowing the Sea, by Lee Upton, as a birthday
A dare that begins with a writing prompt… Read More »
Word count: 281 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute If you increase your vocabulary you’ll not only help your reading, you’ll also make your writing more precise. Here is my word of the week. I like understanding medical terminology. It somehow makes me feel as though I’ve infiltrated a
Word count: 746 words Reading time: About 3 minutes I’m a big believer in templates and systems. But what should you do if your writing process suddenly stops working for you? I really struggled with writing the last two issues of Power Writing. (I’m hoping you didn’t notice.) Ironically, those
What do to when your writing process fails you Read More »
Word count: 400 words Reading time: About 1.5 minutes This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help writers. If you ever need to do some essay writing for senior high school or college/university, be sure to get yourself a
The moves that matter in essay writing Read More »
Word count: 238 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. Lee Upton is an American poet who also writes literary criticism and non-fiction. A
That astonishing thing: writing a novel… Read More »
