Power Writing

Reading time: About 2 minutes There are a million different approaches to writing, but many writing systems fail. Here’s why and how to deal with the problem… Have you ever told yourself you needed better discipline or better habits? Here’s the issue: Sometimes the problem isn’t the writer — it’s the systems around you. Yes, […]

Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’ve ever given yourself the label of laziness, understand that you’re not doing yourself any favours… I used to call myself a lazy procrastinator. Back when I was a university student, doing an honours degree in political science, I had to write a thesis — something that hung around

Reading time: About 3 minutes Does your writing feel “meh” or “blah” to you? Here are five ways to make your writing five times better… Want to make your writing better? Much better? If you don’t like how your writing looks or sounds, there are five easy ways to turn it around. If you do

Reading time: About 3 minutes Reading will cost you only your time. But it will pay you back by teaching you how to write. Here’s how to read your way to better writing… When I meet with writers, one of my first questions is often, “What do you like to read?” This isn’t just social

Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re bad at estimating time for your own writing, check out my post below. I have some useful tips for you. I’m pretty accurate at estimating my writing time now. But it wasn’t always this way. I’ll never forget the writing job I figured it would take me four

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

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

Reading time: About 3 minutes The next time you need to regulate emotions, don’t see yourself as a traffic cop. Regulation looks less like control and more like care… When I begin writing a new story, I sometimes feel a small frisson of fear. Is this piece going to be difficult or boring to write?

Reading time: About 3 minutes Most of us text these days, giving our thumbs a good workout. But for serious writers, there’s a typing speed secret you need to learn… My parents wouldn’t let me take typing when I was in high school. Instead, I had to submit to Latin. Latin! As if conjugating verbs

Reading time: About 3 minutes If digital happiness has eluded you, consider walking away from your cellphone more often…. Does the idea of digital happiness seem as unattainable as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Does it sound like the fantasy of having NO emails in your inbox? Or like the