Reading time: About 3 minutes Should you self-publish your own book? This is a tricky question and one you can answer only for yourself. Here are some ways to help you figure out what you need to know… If you asked me whether I thought you should self-publish a book, my answer wouldn’t be a yes […]
Should you self-publish? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Are you a writer who’s addicted to social media? Consider joining me in quitting Facebook for at least 99 days…. I have long mocked my brother-in-law for never having had a Facebook account. He’s a structural engineer, so you might be inclined to brand him as a socially inept
Why I’ve quit Facebook for 99 days Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Have you ever heard of back-and-forth writing? This is a system that I use to make myself a more efficient and productive writer. There is something wonderfully concrete about writing. If your boss or client asks you for 500 words, you can make a plan, do your research or
When you should let go of your writing goals Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Some writers try to figure out what they want to say by writing. Here’s why you should think first, write later…. Here are the mistakes I see some (not all!) academic writers make: They use the passive voice too much, hiding the ‘actor’ of the sentence (e.g. “Mistakes were
Think first. Write later. Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes You can be a good writer with great ideas but you may sell nothing if you don’t wrap your mind around pitching story ideas. Here’s some advice…. Are you a freelance writer who wants to increase your success rate in pitching traditional or online publications? Or perhaps you’re a newbie
How to pitch stories editors will want to publish Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Does it seem like too much work to have to begin again? The next time your writing habit falls by the wayside, don’t resent the time it takes you to re-establish it… Have you ever had a relapse from exercise? You know, you’d been going to the gym three
How let go of the ‘sorry cycle’ and begin writing again Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Are you good at preventing writing problems? You need to be if you hope to become a successful freelance writer…. A brand-new client had called me to a meeting in a distant suburb. It took me more than 90 minutes to get to the middle of nowhere, and as
After the fall – preventing writing mistakes in the future Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Do you have enough writing confidence to be able to get on paper whatever it is that you need to write? Confidence is surprisingly important to the act of writing… Are you equal to the task of hosting a dinner party for 12 people? What about playing a piano
Are you up to the task of writing? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 2 minutes Do you know how to eliminate your verbal tics? It’s not easy but it’s possible. It just takes some commitment and concentration… You don’t need to have Tourette syndrome to have verbal tics. I know because I have such a tic myself: It’s the word Umm. It took me several years
How to eliminate your verbal tics Read More »
I’m currently travelling and taking a break from blogging. I will be returning to my regularly scheduled posts on Jan. 30/18.
On the road again… Read More »
