Reading time: Less than 5 minutes If you want to make more time for writing you’re going to need to learn how to say no…. Are you a pleaser and accommodator? Are the letters N and O foreign to your vocabulary? If so, I have bad news for you. You’re […]
How to say NO to make yourself a better writer Read More »
My next book will be published very soon — I’m working with the cover designer right now and checking the final proofs with my copy editor. As I was reviewing the manuscript last night, I encountered some text that I thought would be useful for many of you so I am copying it below. As
Don’t even READ what you’ve written until time has passed Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes Are you working too hard? Part of the problem may be that you’re taking too much work home with you. Here’s how to leave your writing stress behind…. My husband and I both have busy, demanding jobs (in totally different fields) and it would be
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When I was in high school I had a teacher who required a daily word report. Here was the assignment: We had to find a word we didn’t know, in our reading, write it down and then write out its definition from the dictionary. Then, we had to use that word in a new sentence.
Why you should report daily Read More »
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: feculent…. I picked up the novel Finding Dorothy, by Elizabeth Letts, in a bookstore and read the first three pages. It engaged
What does ‘feculent’ mean? Read More »
Do you faithfully follow your goals, even when the going gets tough? Or do you tend to give up rather easily? It might help you to learn how to make your writing resilient… Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Anyone who’s been on a diet — not that I’m endorsing
9 ways to make your writing more resilient Read More »
Many writers struggle with the editing phase of the writing process. Here are some principles to remember that should make the task easier for you: Before doing any editing, you need to allow a period of incubation where you do not LOOK AT anything you have written. The purpose of this break is not only
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Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Travel can be relaxing but it’s also invigorating. And, against all odds, it might even teach you some writing lessons…. One way I amuse myself is by finding writing lessons in unusual places or situations. My husband and I recently spent four weeks in
Five writing lessons from Australia & New Zealand Read More »
Many of the writers I work with often try to write too soon — before their brains are ready to do the job. I think this situation occurs most often with academics who are perhaps freaked out by a deadline and figure that the sooner they start getting words on the page, the faster they’ll
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Do you sit down at your desk intending to write and then find yourself struggling to start? There’s an easy solution to that problem…. At the end of each day’s writing session, take a couple of minutes to give yourself an assignment for what to write about the next day. For example, non-fiction writers might
Why you should give yourself instructions for the next day…. Read More »
