Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Being a natural writer might sound like a good thing. Here’s why it usually isn’t… My 21-year-old son started singing when he was two years old. We’d taken the kids to a Raffi concert and it was comical the way we could see the lightbulb […]
Are you a natural writer? Here’s why that’s bad Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes 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 book about procrastination by Tim Pychyl… I haven’t yet read The Procrastination Puzzle by psychology professor Tim Pychyl
Solving the procrastination puzzle Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Have you ever felt uncomfortable with hiring specialists? Here’s why you should get over that idea…. If you had a problem with your feet, you’d visit a podiatrist. If you had cancer, you’d see an oncologist. If you had heart troubles, you’d go to a cardiologist.
The value of hiring specialists 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 metaphor from Karen Auvinen… A few years ago when I was travelling with my family in England, we saw a fox in the backyard of the house
The figurative language of Karen Auvinen… 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: panacea. I can’t recall when I learned the word panacea, but I’ve loved it ever since. For more than 40 years, I’ve known it means a
What’s the root of the word panacea? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Do you suffer from bad writing habits? Here are some ideas you need to overcome so you can develop the good habit of writing — easily — every day… I work with dozens of people every year who are trying to build the writing
Trying to build a writing habit? Beware these 5 traps 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 an interview with musician and songwriter Nick Cave… I know very little about popular music — except that
Can writers get too comfortable? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute If you get nervous about anything — but particularly public speaking or job interviews — then consider trying some power poses… I’ve recently wrapped up a third year as debate club coach for my local high school. I love working with these 25 or
Power poses help calm nerves Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Richard Wagamese. My friend Ellen recommended to me the 2009 book Ragged Company by Ojibway author Richard Wagamese (pictured above). This tale of a group of homeless people
The figurative language of Richard Wagamese… 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: chortle. I was reading an amusing Kathryn Schulz piece in the New Yorker about writer Nell Zink this week. (The piece was headlined “Outside In” and appeared in
What’s the origin of the word chortle? Read More »
