Reading time: About 9 minutes (skimmable in 4) Few subjects are as mysterious as the art of finding your voice. If you’re a writer struggling with that problem, here’s what I suggest you do… What is writer’s voice? And, how can you find yours? You’d think this should be a simple explanation but it’s the opposite […]
What is writer’s voice? And how can you find yours? Read More »
Before reading this post, please watch the following video: It’s a clip from the old TV show I Love Lucy, and it’s the episode in which Lucy and her friend Ethel work at a chocolate factory. I’m beginning with the video because it perfectly illustrates what I’d call a losing proposition. There was NO WAY
How productive should writers expect to be? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes You may think you’re too busy to write, but first ask yourself whether you could build a writing habit… Are you too busy to write right now? I know I am. I’m dealing with a bit of a family emergency and I spent the past hour on the phone with
Too busy to write? Here’s what to do Read More »
I’m not typically a big believer in procrastination. Instead, I tend to admire such aphorisms as: You may delay but time will not. (Ben Franklin) Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him. (Charles Dickens) Eat that frog! (Brian Tracy) But there are two exceptions to my “get things done now” tendencies. Both reflect times
When procrastination might HELP you…. Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time for summer reading? Here’s my semi-annual roundup of books I’ve read this year. I aim to read 52 books every 12 months, and my habit is to post a complete list of the names of them for you, in July and December. Here is
Recommended books: Summer 2019 Read More »
A member of this group recently asked me whether I thought they should take advantage of the “momentum” they were currently feeling. In this particular case, it meant the writer would have had to defer research and planning, so that they could write. The downside, they admitted, was that their writing would be a bit
How to deal with momentum 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 winning a James Beard award… I follow plenty of bloggers (about 70 of them) although I’d never
Have you ever wanted to win a James Beard award? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes You may think today’s world belongs to the tech geeks. But, really, it belongs to the writers. Here’s how to improve your writing…. I sometimes divide the world into two camps: people who can write, and those who can’t. But there’s probably an even more relevant division: people who
Why it’s more important than ever to learn to write 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 words ‘but’ and ‘actually’…. I read a blog post this week about delivering better customer support
Reading time: About 4 minutes Do you need better blogging ideas? Here’s a formula to stop your struggle with finding topics for your blog…. I happen to enjoy cooking so I almost never object to making dinner. It’s fun and it helps me relax after a day of work. The only part of the job
How to generate better blogging ideas Read More »
