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: listicle… I’m not a morbid person. But following the deaths of my father, my father-in-law and my mother, I’ve taken more of an […]
What’s a listicle? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Are you determined enough to get your writing done? Believe it or not, stubbornness is a virtue… When one of my daughters was two she chose to present her unique personality on a family camping trip. I was about to go for a walk, and
Why stubbornness is a virtue for writers 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 post from the blog Brain Pickings….. If you forced me to pick a favourite genre
Why we write memoir Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Is it worth hiring a professional proofreader? Here’s my view, if your publication is going to be printed… I’m a big believer in the value of professional proofreaders. If you’re reluctant to spend the money on one (currently somewhere between $35 and $50 per hour),
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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 metaphor from Kim Severson… When we renovated our house six years ago we spent a lot of effort on our kitchen. I’m a serious cook, as is
The figurative language of Kim Severson… 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: logorrheic… Despite my habit of reading voraciously and widely, I don’t always accumulate enough words for this column. Thus, I’m always grateful when
What does logorrheic mean? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Are you always able to write the perfect amount of copy? It’s not related to luck. It’s the product of good planning and diligent editing… I awoke at 6 this morning, as I do most mornings, and went to my office to meditate. Then I
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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 an blog post written by Seth Godin… I read Seth Godin’s blog every day. Not every posting
How long does it take to understand elegance? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute In Canada, at least, the end of journalism seems very near…. The metropolitan daily newspaper that gave me my first job as a senior editor is going to merge with its rival, it was announced this week. The Vancouver Sun will be sharing its
Is it time to say RIP for journalism? 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 several striking metaphors from novelist Ayelet Waldman… I read Ayelet Waldman’s affecting 2014 novel, Love and Treasure, last fall. It told the story of the Hungarian Gold Train,
The figurative language of Ayelet Waldman… Read More »
