Power Writing began as a weekly newsletter in April 2006. Its purpose? To give tips and advice about writing, to tell interesting stories and to help writers everywhere work faster, better. I distribute the newsletter by email to thousands of readers around the world every week and, since March 2012, it has become the Tuesday entry of my blog.
You can read many Power Writing entries here – I back-entered all columns until the beginning of 2009, and a handful of ones that were earlier than that. But I hope you’ll consider subscribing, too. Just enter your name and email in the box next to my photo on the home page of my website. If you do that, you’ll not only receive Power Writing by email each week, you’ll also automatically get access to a 10-minute video on how to unblock your writing.
Reading time: About 4 minutes Don’t use artificial intelligence to write for you. Instead, get it to help you write more easily. There really are better ways to use ChatGPT…. I’m a longtime fan of the writer and psychologist Angela Duckworth — ever since the publication of her 2016 book […]
Better ways to use ChatGPT Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Halloween may bring out the creepy crawlies, but perhaps you’re already dealing with a monster: fear of editing It’s not often that my newsletter goes out on Halloween, so I want to mark the occasion with a post on fear. Not fear of writing, which
Bats, blood, skeletons and fear of editing Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Sometimes, your desire to be a good editor can be the biggest problem standing in your way…. I know the subject line of this post might seem a little odd — counterintuitive, even. Why shouldn’t you want to be a good editor? Wouldn’t every writer
Why you shouldn’t want to be a good editor Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes When you sit down to write, do you find yourself lured away into the world of daydreams? Here’s how to stop your mind from wandering… When I was doing my undergrad degree — decades ago — my mind used to wander all over the place. I’d
How to stop your mind from wandering Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Clients often ask me if their writing is “professional enough.” Here’s how to know if your writing is good enough to make the grade… I used to read a blog written by someone who had serious writing challenges. I was interested in her content, so I usually forced myself to
How to know if your writing is good Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes The inner editor — that voice inside your own head — may seem like your best, most concerned friend but, in fact, he or she is your worst enemy. Let me help you save yourself from your inner editor… I have written two books, and
7 surprising ways to silence your inner editor Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Can you ignore your phone, your email and your boss while settling down to write? Or have you never learned how to stop getting distracted while working? Do you get distracted too easily? You’re trying to work and — ZING — a squirrel runs in
How to stop getting distracted while working Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes We can all get things done if we’re willing to work hard enough. But here’s some useful advice on how to work smarter…. I’m working on a big project right now. I’m writing and recording lessons for a course on editing that I plan to
How to work smarter, not harder 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
Are you trying to do too much? 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
What it takes to be a good writer (and it’s not just 10,000 hours) Read More »
