Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you a fan of writers’ critique groups? If so, I suggest you use them for nothing more than accountability… I’m about to commit professional heresy, so buckle up. This might sound curmudgeonly — okay, it’s definitely curmudgeonly — but after 46 years in this business, I’ve earned the right […]
The uncomfortable truth about writers’ critique groups Read More »
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 a blog post about showing vulnerability in writing… Have you ever allowed yourself to show vulnerability in writing? My guess is you
Are you ready to show vulnerability in your writing? Read More »
Viewing time: 4 mins 10 secs The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #198, which describes how to make your writing less blah. The post first ran on Sept. 24/21.
How you can make your writing less ‘blah’? (video) Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Robin Sloan…. I’ve been a moderately serious home cook for many years — always baking cakes from scratch and putting up annual preserves. But
The figurative language of Robin Sloan Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Ashraf Zaghal says that true originality comes from how a story is told, not from the novelty of the concept. Born in Jerusalem, Ashraf Zaghal moved to Toronto in 2006 to study Environmental Engineering. Between 1998 and 2016, he published four poetry collections in Arabic: Wheels of Ashes (Ramallah, 1998),
Reflections on writing with Ashraf Zaghal… Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you feel that perfectionism is killing your writing? Here are some simple actions that will help liberate you… My mother often gave me the chore of dusting our living room when I was a six-year-old. And when it came to dealing with the bookshelves lining that space, I remember
Perfectionism is killing your writing (and how to fight back) Read More »
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 a blog post about the value of getting enough slack time… Many people who are self-employed believe work should involve no slack
Do you have enough slack time in your day? Read More »
Viewing time: 3 mins 47 secs The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #197, which describes how to narrow the focus for your blog. The post first ran on Sept. 17/21.
How can you narrow the focus for your blog? (video) Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about metaphors from Susan Orlean… I’ve been a fan of Susan Orlean for many years. But with the publication of her aptly-named memoir, Joyride, I’ve become a bone fide superfan. I loved every
The figurative language of Susan Orlean… Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Christopher Amato likes to take writing advice from Ben Franklin, who said, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Christopher Amato always dreamed of working in law enforcement. After earning a degree with honors in criminology from Florida State University, he served as a federal agent. Upon
Reflections on writing with Christopher Amato… Read More »
