Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re bad at estimating time for your own writing, check out my post below. I have some useful tips for you. I’m pretty accurate at estimating my writing time now. But it wasn’t always this way. I’ll never forget the writing job I figured it would take me four […]
Why writers are so bad at estimating time (and how to fix it) Read More »
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 other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about book proposal comps…. Many writers ask me about how to choose their book comps, while a smaller number
How can you find book proposal comps? Read More »
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 similes and metaphors from Gail Caldwell…. I wrote recently about a New York Times piece by Gail Caldwell, an American critic and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for
Figurative language from Gail Caldwell Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Judy LeBlanc cherishes the Chekov quote: Chekhov quote, “To make a face out of marble means to take away everything but the face,” because she appreciates the sculpting metaphor. Judy LeBlanc’s stories and essays have appeared in magazines, most recently Geist, 2025, and in Don’t Tell: Family Secrets. She’s the author of The Promise
Reflections on writing with Judy LeBlanc…. Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you a fan of writers’ critique groups? If so, I suggest you use them for nothing more than accountability… I’m about to commit professional heresy, so buckle up. This might sound curmudgeonly — okay, it’s definitely curmudgeonly — but after 46 years in this business, I’ve earned the right
The uncomfortable truth about writers’ critique groups Read More »
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 other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about showing vulnerability in writing… Have you ever allowed yourself to show vulnerability in writing? My guess is you
Are you ready to show vulnerability in your writing? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Robin Sloan…. I’ve been a moderately serious home cook for many years — always baking cakes from scratch and putting up annual preserves. But
The figurative language of Robin Sloan Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Ashraf Zaghal says that true originality comes from how a story is told, not from the novelty of the concept. Born in Jerusalem, Ashraf Zaghal moved to Toronto in 2006 to study Environmental Engineering. Between 1998 and 2016, he published four poetry collections in Arabic: Wheels of Ashes (Ramallah, 1998),
Reflections on writing with Ashraf Zaghal… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you feel that perfectionism is killing your writing? Here are some simple actions that will help liberate you… My mother often gave me the chore of dusting our living room when I was a six-year-old. And when it came to dealing with the bookshelves lining that space, I remember
Perfectionism is killing your writing (and how to fight back) Read More »
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 other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about the value of getting enough slack time… Many people who are self-employed believe work should involve no slack
Do you have enough slack time in your day? Read More »
