Reading time: Less than 2 minutes 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: villanelle I’ve suddenly become an enormous fan of the journalist, blogger and science writer Clive Thompson. A reader sent me a copy of a video in which […]
What’s a villanelle? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes If you habitually write copy that’s shorter than you want or need, here are some tips on how to lengthen word count… Here’s my dirty little secret about writing: I often write too short. Give me a word count of 750 words and I’ll produce 600. Ask for 2,000
Is your writing too short? Here’s how to fix that 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 Harvard Law School blog post on mindmapping… I love it when my readers forward interesting articles to me. (Keep on doing this,
Mindmapping helps lawyer; could it help you? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Don’t let jargon cause you to make embarrassing typographical errors. Everything you write needs a proofreader, even if you can’t afford having a professional do it… I volunteer at my local high school, where I’m the debate coach. I love working with teenagers — I find their energy infectious. But
Why you need a proofreader… 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: soughing. I hadn’t heard of writer Richard Wagamese until a couple of years ago when a friend recommended his book Ragged Company. I loved this story of a
What does soughing mean? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Some writers feel as though they’re working in a black hole. Ask them the question, ‘Are you getting enough writing feedback?’ and they’ll answer with a resounding no… Back in my freelancing days, I used to write the occasional piece for national magazines. I didn’t really enjoy writing then (I
Are you getting enough writing feedback? 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 Scott Young… I’m obsessed with helping others build the writing habit. Such a habit allows requires
Scott Young on how to build habits Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes Do you ever encounter forms that are tough to read? It’s not your fault! The fault usually lies with the organization that developed the form… Is there anything more onerous than filling out government or bank documents? (I think not.) A neighbour reminded me of this issue recently, when
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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 Logan Hill. I started watching the TV show Mad Men rather late — at least a year after the series had begun in 2007. Impressed by the acting, the set design, the
The figurative language of Logan Hill… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 6 minutes Even if you don’t know exactly how many words you can produce in an hour, here’s how to write faster… Ask a bunch of journalists or professional writers how many words they can produce in an hour and you’ll get a dog-pile of half-answers and creative guesses. I know because
The ultimate 7-step guide for how to write faster Read More »
