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 scribbled a note to myself […]
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 – and start looking, instead,
The secret sauce to effective writing Read More »
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 to read the book 168
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 look at two related themes:
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 you to become informed about
What is prolixity? Read More »
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 and marched off to meet
What practicing piano teaches you about writing Read More »
Word count: 277 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. A participant in my Extreme Writing Makeover course alerted me that she was writing a book on writing and, better yet,
Becoming an academic writer Read More »
Word count: 238 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 sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I received the marvellous book Swallowing the Sea, by Lee Upton, as a birthday gift from a friend. It
A dare that begins with a writing prompt… Read More »
Word count: 281 words Reading time: Just over 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. I like understanding medical terminology. It somehow makes me feel as though I’ve infiltrated a secret society. What I find
Word count: 746 words Reading time: About 3 minutes I’m a big believer in templates and systems. But what should you do if your writing process suddenly stops working for you? I really struggled with writing the last two issues of Power Writing. (I’m hoping you didn’t notice.) Ironically, those issues focused on the topic
What do to when your writing process fails you Read More »
