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 Garth Stein. I can’t remember who recommended the book The Art of Racing in the Rain to me. I knew it was about a dog […]
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Reading time: About 1.5 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 words: trochee and spondee. When I was in university, I was invited to join the honours program in English and Political Science. The trouble
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Reading time: About 3 minutes We’re all short of time, so how on earth can we find the time to write? Here are some ideas… Last week I wrote about wasting time. Today, I write about finding it. While it’s certain that most of us have mind-manglingly busy lives, it’s
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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 on verbs by novelist Karen Bender. I hadn’t heard of Karen Bender until I read
Reading time: About 2 minutes If you want some media coverage for your company or an event you’re organizing, read this quick primer on how to think like a reporter… Are you trying to get media coverage? The best piece of advice I can give you is to think like
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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 simile from Forrest Gander. Like an unexpected guest at a dinner party, the very brief novel, As a Friend, by Forrest Gander, is a surprising
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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: misprision. I can’t escape the notion that, every once in awhile, some authors use words to show off. I level this critique
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Reading time: About 3 minutes It’s highly likely that you mismanage your time. We all do! But writing time is another matter entirely… I protect my writing time the way a mother bear guards her cubs. I write first thing in the morning and I refuse to check my email
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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 New York Times columnist Susan Gubar. I had never heard of Susan Gubar
Living with cancer Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes People often say “you and I” when they really should be saying “you and me.” Here’s a quick explanation of the rule… Grammar is seldom taught in schools these days and most of us struggle to speak correctly – just as we struggle to lose
Just between you and me Read More »
