Reading time: About 3 minutes You’ve certainly heard of standing desks, but have you ever heard of walking ones? Here are some treadmill desk benefits… I am an eccentric. Here are some of my credentials: I have a computer file with all my recipes and I make a menu plan once […]
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If you’re ever feeling discouraged and downhearted about your own writing ability, you can learn a lot from the insecurities of other great writers. Don’t you think it’s vastly encouraging to learn that a widely idolized writer had moments of grave doubt? Such was the case with Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964). An essayist as well as
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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: codswallop… I’ve known the expression, “that’s a load of codswallop” since I was a child, likely on account of my father’s British
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Reading time: Just over 5 minutes Do you make the mistake of trying to research WHILE you are writing? Make researching less painful by separating these two steps. Does the following scenario sound familiar?… You’re writing something that requires a great deal of research, and accuracy is paramount.. As a
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At one of our weekly Get It Done calls, one participant recently asked why I’ve started focusing on speed. I’m paraphrasing freely here, but he said something like, “I’m comfortable with the speed at which I write and I don’t really need or want to do it any faster.” While I respect everyone’s right to
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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 phrase: in spate… When I read the novel The Porpoise by Mark Haddon, I was struck by the number of “British-isms” in his
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Reading time: About 5 minutes Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, focusing on the most useful, helpful and healthful pieces for writers. When I worked in the newspaper business, I had to learn how to cope with what we called “silly season.” At the height
PubCoach top 10: August 2020 Read More »
Something about creative work — painting, playing music, acting, sculpting and, of course, writing — makes many of us believe that a mystical element called “inspiration” is necessary. I have never believed this point. Sure, some people are born with more natural talent for these activities than others, but with enough hard work you can
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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: chelonian… It doesn’t take much to persuade me to read a memoir. But make the main character a writer who’s exploring a
What does the word ‘chelonian’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Do you know how to make stress work for you? Or do you simply dread it? Here is some advice specifically for writers…. Working as a senior editor in a metropolitan daily newspaper (1984-1990) was one of the happiest times of my life. I
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