Reading time: Less than 2 minutes 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 Colson Whitehead… I had heard many laudatory reviews of the novel The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. A National Book Award Winner and a #1 New York […]
The figurative language of Colson Whitehead… 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: scabrous I finished the novel Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (pictured above) last week and can’t say I much liked it. Despite glowing reviews
What does ‘scabrous’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Are you interested in becoming a better presenter? Here’s one unusual tip: Leave more ‘holes’ in your speeches… I do a lot of presentations — some in person, the others online. (The online ones are always much harder!) And here is something I’ve always
Why you should leave ‘holes’ in your speeches 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 couple of similes from Marni Jackson…. Marni Jackson is a Toronto-based journalist who has won many National Magazine Awards for her writing, and she’s also the author
The figurative language of Marni Jackson… 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: manumission…. I grew up on the west coast of Canada, where our prejudice tends to be displayed towards Asian, South-Asian or First
What is ‘manumission’? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 2 minutes If the recent passage of Jan. 1 has you feeling bad for not having made some writing-related new year’s resolutions, remember this: plans for writers are a far better idea… I no longer believe in new year’s resolutions. This discovery came over me in
Your guide to a better kind of New Year’s resolution Read More »
Reading time: Less than 5 minutes Are you still struggling with what gifts to buy some writer friends for Christmas? Or, maybe, like me, you don’t even know what gifts to request for yourself. Here are 17 ideas for Christmas gifts for writers… I once overheard someone say, “Christmas is for
17 Christmas gifts for writers Read More »
Reading time: Just over 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 travel writing… I love to travel (our trip to Newfoundland last summer and
Travel writing: how to do it Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute Do you need an expert to help you or would you be better off seeking some insider knowledge? I happily invested in a new version of Dragon Dictation software about seven months ago. Why? My doctor had told me that less typing might help my
Why and how you should seek ‘insider knowledge’ 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 simile relating to the John Dory fish… I can no longer remember where I recently encountered the term John Dory — a book? a newspaper
It looks a little bit like a horseshoe that sprouted quills… Read More »
