Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today with a host of figurative language from Dominic Smith. Writer Dominic Smith (pictured above) grew up in Sydney, Australia and now lives in Austin, Texas. He is the author of my favourite novel (so far) […]
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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: soubrette… Earlier this year I read the funny and interesting memoir Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin. An actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician, Martin came to public
What’s a soubrette? 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 written by Derek Sivers… I’ve just returned from a marvellous three-week August holiday. My husband and I went to the easternmost
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Reading time: Just over 1 minute Writing about science is not easy but at least it’s logical. The main point to understand is the the absence of a study never proves anything…. I was on holiday for much of August so I didn’t have time to weigh in on the dental floss brouhaha when it was
How not to write about science 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 series of similes from Wesley Morris. Even while on holiday (as I was for much of the month of August), I read the New York Times on my smartphone. This is how
Like buttah and satin… 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: gimlet-eyed. Listening to podcasts has become one of my new favourite pastimes. I never miss Freakonomics and I also make time for Fresh Air, The West Wing Weekly
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This post first appeared on Oct. 23, 2007. Reading time: less than 2 minutes I’ve noticed that effective writers tend to share seven traits. So, with apologies to Stephen Covey (pictured above), here is my own list of 7 habits worth adopting. Have you ever wondered why some people write easily and fluently, while others
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This post first appeared on Sept. 15, 2009. Reading time: About 3 minutes There are two main types of writers in this world and here are three editing tips for each of them. A subscriber wrote to me recently with the alarming subject line “writing discipline” and told the following story: “I’ve been writing for years,” she
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This post first appeared on Aug. 17, 2010. Reading time: About 3 minutes It’s summer — and what could be better than paddling a canoe? My own paddling also made me reflect on some important rules about writing… Our summer was late getting started in Vancouver this year but it’s been flawless. Maybe even a
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Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Do you want to learn how to develop the writing habit? It’s not as hard as you might have feared… The hardest part about writing is not the work of stringing a sentence together – it’s the commitment it requires, day after relentless day. If you want to build
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