Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about the personification, similes and metaphors of scholar Tara Westover… The story of Tara Westover is almost impossible to believe. An American author living in the UK, Westover was born in a […]
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Reading time: Less than 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: festschrift… I have mostly neutral feelings towards the work of American novelist Philip Roth. I’m not a huge fan, nor am I a detractor. Still, I chafe
What’s a ‘festschrift’? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’d promised to become a more regular writer in 2022 and you’re already failing at your resolution, here’s how to stop putting off your writing… It’s nearing the end of January, the time when New Year’s resolutions start to fade into the background. Soon, they will become like the
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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 an article on the space between sentences… I hesitate to reopen the debate about space between sentences. Many people feel strongly
The correct space between sentences? Science thinks it has the answer 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 similes from Luis Alberto Urrea… I bought and read the novel The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urea (pictured above) after hearing several laudatory reviews on NPR
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Reading time: Less than 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: levantine… I live in a city, Vancouver, that is roughly 50 percent Asian. As a result, reading a book titled Crazy Rich Asians (by Kevin Kwan) makes me want
What does ‘levantine’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’ve ever chafed against limits — time, money, raw materials or client demands — read today’s post to learn how to be more creative despite constraints… One of my clients emailed me this week with an important question about habits. “I often try to balance between routine and getting
How constraints help you learn how to be more creative 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 Rachel Khong… Unless I take careful notes, I usually can’t remember who has recommended individual books to me. This is a particular disadvantage with
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Reading time: About 3 minutes If you don’t know how to meet deadlines, my hunch is that you frequently say something like, ‘I’ll do this by the end of the month.’ Here’s why you should stop… How often do you tell yourself the lie that you’ll finish your project, report, chapter or even entire book,
Stop saying, ‘I’ll do this by the end of the month’ 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 by Lily Brooks-Dalton… Lily Brooks-Dalton (pictured above) was born and raised in southern Vermont. Her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved was a finalist
Sage writing advice from Lily Brooks-Dalton… Read More »
