Word count: 731 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Attention Deficit Disorder doesn’t just affect school children. It can also have an impact on writers. Read on to learn more…. Last week I was visiting a friend who lives in downtown Vancouver. We were sitting in her living room, chatting, and […]
Does your writing have attention deficit disorder? Read More »
Word count: 275 words 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 writers. Today, I discuss a website focusing on stories. I’m a big believer in the power of
More proof of the power of stories Read More »
Word count: 329 words Reading time: About 1.5 minutes A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently written by Gay Talese (pictured right.) I was unable to go to journalism school. My university, UBC, where in
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Reading time: About 1.5 minutes I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. For many years, I subscribed to the magazine Cook’s Illustrated. I liked its old-fashioned appearance, complete with botanic drawings and the kind of fonts
Cook’s Illustrated dissed by NY Times Read More »
Word count: 215 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute If you increase your vocabulary you’ll not only help your reading, you’ll also make your writing more precise. Here is my word of the week. When I read Cal Newport’s book So Good They Can’t Ignore You last month, I
What does heuristic mean? Read More »
Word count: 642 words Reading time: About 2.5 minutes If you want to produce effective writing, stop looking at your writing and start considering what you’re actually doing! What’s the trick to effective writing? I think the biggest secret is to stop focusing on the product – the piece of writing
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Word count: About 288 words 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 writers. If you have ever complained about not having enough time to write, I urge you
You have more time than you think Read More »
Word count: 234 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a paragraph I read recently that I’d happily imitate. The novel The Hand that First Held Mine, by Maggie O’Farrell, offers a refined
Particular attention to demonstrating surprise… Read More »
Word count: 266 words Reading time: About 1 minute If you increase your vocabulary you’ll not only help your reading, you’ll also make your writing more precise. Here is my word of the week: prolixity. One of the many great things about reading The New Yorker is that it allows
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Word count: 753 words Reading time: About 3 minutes There are some funny similarities between writing and practicing piano…. I desperately wanted piano lessons as a child. Too bad for me my parents couldn’t afford them. Instead, I watched enviously as my classmates carried their music books under their arms
What practicing piano teaches you about writing Read More »
