Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Do you appreciate a good story? More importantly, do you use it in the best possible away? This is one of the most important writing lessons you can ever learn. Once upon a time, a man who now is a naturalist at the Grand Canyon was a nine-year-old boy. He […]
Writing lessons from the Grand Canyon Read More »
Reading time: About 2.5 minutes How are your reading skills? Do you attack books like a pit bull with a bone or do you stack them up by your bedside and ignore them? Scroll down to learn how to read like a writer. I typically read a book a week — time permitting I’ll read
Why you should read like a writer Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Learn how a fight with a clerk in a back shop reminded me of the importance of not saying no. I have a twitchy back. Like many people, I was born with some scoliosis — an S-curve if you look at the back from the rear. And I also have some caiphosis —
A writer’s aching back and the “saying no” problem Read More »
Reading time: 2.5 minutes Did you read last week’s excerpt from William Zinsser’s book? If not, I provide a link to it, below. Most importantly, I give you the grade level at which it was written. Read on for the final part to my series on how to edit like a professional. In last week’s
How to edit, part 4 Read More »
Reading time: 2.5 minutes Have you been wrestling with the idea of readability statistics? Do you see them as unfair? Unliterary? Even illiterate? Here is part 3 of my series on how to become your own best editor. Just about every time I write about readability statistics I hear back from people who are concerned.
How to edit, part 3 Read More »
Do you struggle with rewriting yourself? Here is part 2 of my series on how to edit like a professional. Following up on last week’s column about how to edit, let me revisit the passage I rewrote and explain what I did and why. Here again is the original piece, excerpted from an interesting but
How to edit, part 2 Read More »
Do you ever struggle with rewriting yourself? Here’s the first installment in my 4-part guide on how to edit. There are pros and cons to moving house, as I did recently. On the one hand, you inevitably lose some stuff. I’m still mourning the disappearance of my Kitchen Aid dough hook — where is that
How to edit, part 1 Read More »
Do you want to be a writing star? Here are some suggestions that might help! Blame it on my stroke or my house-move but I lost an expensive piece of software recently. I could have sworn it was installed on my computer but when I checked my hard drive the application had disappeared like one
5 ways to surprise your boss or client Read More »
Are you prepared to take risks while writing? Let me give you an example of something my husband did recently with his choir. Although it wasn’t a writing activity, it offers at least three lessons worth learning. My husband has a great voice and he loves to sing. Loves it. He’s performed in an auditioned community choir
Don’t back down from a good story Read More »
Have you ever been asked to write a communications plan? Today’s newsletter gives you a clear five-step plan for producing one. Last week I met with a client — the CEO of a non-profit organization — who announced that he wanted a communications plan. Having been around the block a few times I knew enough
How to write a communications plan Read More »
