Reading time: About 2 minutes James Young likes to use a musical analogy for the act of writing: “There doesn’t have to be a “drum fill” after every verse or refrain; sometimes, you are just keeping the rhythm….” James Young spent 14 years as a staffer in the Senate and House,
Reflections on writing with James Young… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Intrusive thoughts when writing can stop you cold. Try these six defusion techniques, from silly voices to thanking your mind. I have a thought that shows up at roughly the 400-word mark of every first draft I write. It says: your readers will find this
How to stop arguing with the voice that says you can’t write Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute Writers are often told they should join a critique group. I have never done this because I know when critiques become dangerous… Some writers get a great sense of satisfaction from belonging to a writing group. I don’t. While I’m 100% in favour of peer support,
What to do when critiques become dangerous Read More »
Recording time: 56 seconds You can be forgiven for quickly answering “no” to the question: Can grammar ever be fun? But you’d be wrong. Just ask Karen Elizabeth Gordon. Transcript: Grammar books put many writers to sleep. This one does the opposite. The Transitive Vampire, by Karen Elizabeth
Can grammar ever be fun? (video) 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 Gene Fowler…. Gene Fowler was always eminently quotable. My favourite line of his is: “Writing is easy. All you
The figurative language of Gene Fowler… Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Mahtab Narsimhan says that she’s written in the morning for so long now, it’s become a firm habit and she feels as though something is missing if she doesn’t do it. Mahtab Narsimhan is an internationally published, award-winning author of 25 critically acclaimed books in
Reflections on writing with Mahtab Narsimhan Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes What to do when you can’t write: some days the words won’t come. Four research-backed strategies to get them moving again. Some days the words won’t come. You sit down at the desk you tidied for the occasion. You open the file. The last paragraph
Some days the words won’t come. Here’s what helps. 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 how to write about difficult topics…. My video editor emailed me a few moments ago. She was
How to write about difficult topics Read More »
Viewing time: 1 minute Writing perfectionism keeps you staring at a blank page. Good writers aren’t better at first drafts. They’re better at revision. Transcript Here’s a myth that keeps writers stuck: good writers get it perfect the first time. They don’t. Not one of them. The blank-page genius
Is writing perfectionism getting in your way? (video) Read More »
Reading time: Less than 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 Francis Spufford…. I can no longer remember where I heard about the marvellous work by Francis Spufford, The Child
The figurative language of Francis Spufford… Read More »
