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 and metaphors from novelist Joshua Ferris… I’m a relatively fast reader but it took me more than two months to get through the novel The Unnamed by Joshua […]
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Reading time: Just over 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: thrawn. I read Kate Atkinson’s 1995 debut novel Behind the Scenes at the Museum more than a decade ago and it has remained one of my favourite books. I found
What does the word thrawn mean? Read More »
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 turn on in Duncan’s brain.
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 but I’ve put it at the top
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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. So, why do people have
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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 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 where we were staying (in
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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: 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 cure-all or remedy for all
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 habit. Some succeed quickly. Others
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 my lack of knowledge makes
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 so kids! They’re so much
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