Viewing time: 5 mins. 41 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 #73, with advice on how to use readability stats. The post first ran on Nov. 9/18. Transcript: […]
How to understand readability stats (video) Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes and metaphors from Mary Choi…. I have three sisters so I’m always up for novels exploring the often-crazy dynamics of family relationships. The delightful novel Yolk, by Mary Choi falls into
The figurative language of Mary Choi… Read More »
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: hobbledehoy… I thought I knew the meaning of the word ‘hobbledehoy,’ but it turns out I was only partly right. I encountered it recently in the delightful
What does ‘hobbledehoy’ mean? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you fail to write because you’re always trying to do too much? This is a common problem, and it takes some mindful planning to get around it… It’s the Tuesday after Labour Day in North America — one of the most hectic days in the annual calendar. Summer holidays
Are you trying to do too much? Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world for material to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about publishing contract problems… If you’re lucky enough to be offered a publishing contract by a traditional publisher, you’ll probably want to pull
Do you have publishing contract problems? Read More »
Viewing time: 5 min. 11 sec. 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 #72, with advice on how to say the same thing differently. The post first ran on Nov. 2/18.
How to say the same thing differently (video) Read More »
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 series of similes and metaphors from Stephen McCauley… American novelist Stephen McCauley (pictured above), started his working life by teaching yoga, working at a hotel, a kindergarten, and being a
The figurative language of Stephen McCauley… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 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: augury…. Sometimes, if I’m struggling with a word, I’ll stop to see if there’s anything in the root of it that seems vaguely familiar to me. This
What’s an ‘augury’? Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes You already know that writing takes time, but here’s what it takes to be a good writer…. You’ve probably heard of the 10,000-hour rule, even if you know little more than the name. Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell is the person who popularized the notion that in order to be fantastic
What it takes to be a good writer (and it’s not just 10,000 hours) Read More »
Reading time: Less than 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 on digital minimalism written by Cal Newport… I’ve followed Cal Newport for years. A computer science professor at
Exploring the idea of digital minimalism Read More »
