Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you resolved to improve your writing habits for 2026? Don’t leave it up to your New Year’s resolutions… I used to find it exceptionally difficult to exercise. I’d delay, postpone and prevaricate. The thought about my need to exercise rested on my shoulder like a judgmental parrot that wouldn’t […]
Writing habits that actually stick: Why New Year’s writing resolutions fail Read More »
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 other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about the magic of three…. From the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, to the children’s rhyme three
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Viewing time: 5 mins. 56 secs. The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #92, which describes how to avoid plagiarizing. The post first ran on Aug 20/21. Transcript Welcome to The
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Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes and metaphors from Casey Cep… Typically, when I find figurative language, the writing is somewhat flowery. I mean that in a good way, of course, although flowery language doesn’t suit
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Reading time: About 5 minutes Writing is always going to be harder after a holiday. But taking a break isn’t a mistake! Here’s how to get back into writing after a break… Did you eat too many chocolate-dipped shortbreads this Christmas? Drink lots of glasses of eggnog or mulled wine? Nip out of town for
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No posts from me this week as I’m taking some time off to celebrate Christmas and the new year. I hope you get a break, too, and I’ll be back in time for next week’s Power Writing, Dec. 30. Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!
Viewing time: 5 mins. 3 secs. The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #76, which describes how writers can get more from their reading. The post first ran on Aug 6/21.
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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 images from chef and writer Gabrielle Hamilton… I read a piece in the April 23/20 New York Times that knocked my socks off. Written by chef Gabrielle Hamilton
The figurative language of Gabrielle Hamilton…. Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Laura Gale embraces the message “kill your darlings,” because she knows favourite phrases are often unclear or overdone… Laura Gale started her career as a publicist at a global publishing house, promoting books by Nelson Mandela, Tina Fey, J. K. Rowling and many more. She now works with founders and
Reflections on writing with Laura Gale… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re planning on writing through the holidays, here are some tips to make the work easier on yourself… Many of my friends and clients fret about writing over the holidays. Should they take time off or should they continue writing? I pass no judgement either way. This is a
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