Word count: 200 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute This is my regular installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help writers. Readers frequently confess to me that they’re dying to quit their day jobs and become fulltime freelance writers. “Dare I […]
Do you want a so-called freelance life? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you see yourself as a bad writer? Read on for advice on why and how you can reframe this problem. My 18-year-old daughter, Claire, last week announced she wanted to make a nosegay of Ferrero Roche chocolates as a gift for a friend who was performing a violin
What a bad writer can learn from chocolate flowers Read More »
Word count: 208 words 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 writers. I just counted and it turns out I now follow about 89 blogs in my RSS reader. Yikes! Time to
How to manage your writing Read More »
Word count: 194 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute Each week I identify a sentence from my reading that has interested me. Emulating other writers is a particularly effective way of improving our own writing. When I read the book The Wife: A Novel, by Meg Wolitzer, I was both dazzled by her writing
Terrified of death’s dress rehearsal… Read More »
Word count: 273 words Reading time: About 1 minute Need help? Here I tell you about some tools for writers. I normally dislike shopping but something about buying on the Internet makes the whole procedure easier and far more fun for me. That’s why I currently have an Albatross hanging around my neck. Well, actually,
Why you might want an Albatross Read More »
Word count: 200 words Reading time: Less than 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. Here is a word I’ve used many times without ever being 100% sure of its meaning (embarrassing, I know!) Preternaturally.
He was preternaturally shy… Read More »
Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Do you leave everything until the last minute? That’s a mistake! Instead, you should always plan your writing time… Until about 10 years ago, I lived my life perpetually behind the eight-ball. In school, I delayed writing essays until the day before they were due. For my career, I chose
Why you should get out from behind the writing 8-ball Read More »
Word count: 195 words 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 writers. What do I like about Colleen Wainwright? I like the way she writes: she’s informal, she’s funny, she’s honest. I
Channeling Colleen Wainwright Read More »
Word count: 211 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. When I was a Girl Guide, back in the dark ages, one of my favourite campfire songs, called
The very word gloaming reverberates… Read More »
Word count: 240 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute Need help? Here I tell you about a piece of technology or software for writers. Today’s pick is called Audacity. I am a particularly dim bulb when it comes to technology. Just ask my 18-year-old son. He’s my in-house IT department (and not all that
Do you have enough Audacity? Read More »
