Reading time: About 2 minutes If you’ve never heard of the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, you’re not alone. It’s a relatively rare disorder but that doesn’t make it unimportant… I took part in the Scotiabank half marathon last weekend. Let me stress: I am not a marathoner or even a half-marathoner. […]
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 Calvin Trillin… I can no longer remember the first time I tasted fresh mozzarella but I think I was about 25. It was
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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: paresis. I almost tried to write today’s post in rhyming couplets. This is because my word of the week comes from the marvellous
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you need to write? Here are some suggestions for how to improve your focus… As I write this column, I’m feeling overwhelmed. Why? I just said goodbye to a contractor who carved a hole in our dining-room ceiling.
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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 of interest to other writers. Today I discuss an article written by Clay Shirkey. I began my working life in newspapers. My parents
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Reading time: About 1.5 minutes Have you ever thought of hiring a professional proofreader? Here’s why you should take the idea seriously…. I work with many clients who — in addition to having me write or edit — also hire me to coordinate their various suppliers. These might include graphic
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Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a simile from Emily Nussbaum… Here’s one of the reasons I read The New Yorker each week. It allows me to learn about things I would never in a million
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Reading time: About 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: helter-skelter… I’ve known the meaning of the adverb and adjective helter-skelter for at least 45 years. It means something done in a haphazard manner or
What’s a helter-skelter? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Have you ever thought of the value of self-talk? I’d always seen it as a liability but there are ways in which it can help you… I adore open-area offices. When I started working in a newsroom 30 years ago — with a hundred
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Reading time: About 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 article written by Tim Kreider. I hadn’t heard of Tim Kreider until I regularly started reading
Not necessarily shown to your best advantage… Read More »
