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 6 minutes Fear of writing is a terrible burden. But if you can do what you fear, the fear will disappear. Here’s how to take that advice…. Emotions help us deal with important life events — without having to think. We don’t choose to feel these emotions. […]
Can you banish your fear of writing? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes For whom do you write? I know your work might be for a client or for the public. But, really, you should always write for one person… I’ve received a great deal of advice over the years. Some of this advice has been silly —
Why you should write for one person Read More »
Reading time: About 4 mins. It might surprise you to learn that the curse of knowledge is not a blessing in disguise. In fact, it’s a considerable disadvantage for writers… If you’re a writer, you’re probably a know-it-all. Not in the sense of a 6-year-old bully who says things like,
How the curse of knowledge is harming your writing Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you already a Timely Tom or Tina? Or do you need to learn how to stop missing deadlines? Are you the kind of writer who misses deadlines? I know you well. In fact, I used to be you. When I was at university, many
How to stop missing deadlines Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 mins. If you’ve never produced an annual writing plan, read on to learn why you should, and how to do it…. If I’d been faster off the mark, I’d have published today’s blog post before the end of 2022…. That way it would have been
How to prepare an annual writing plan Read More »
Reading time: Less than 5 minutes Do you have a good shutdown ritual? You should! Here’s how to implement one that will work for you… Writing — like cooking, cleaning and parenting — is a job that knows no beginning or ending. It’s something you do all the time, even in
How to establish a shutdown ritual Read More »
Reading time: Just over 2 minutes Are you ready for Christmas? Here are some suggestions for how to make Christmas a happier holiday for writers…. As wonderful as Christmas is, it’s a celebration that often creates stress for writers, freelancers and companies. Here is some advice on how to manage
How writers can deal with Christmas Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes The Covid pandemic has taught many of us about the perils of hoarding. But my advice relates specifically to computers: don’t be a digital hoarder…. Have you ever seen the TV program Hoarders? That’s the one where people have kitchens filled with dirty dishes and
Are you a digital hoarder? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time for Christmas reading or gift-giving? Here’s my semi-annual roundup of books I’ve read this year. I aim to read at least 52 books every 12 months and my habit is to post a complete list of the names of
Recommended books: winter 2022 Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes As writers, many of us are hardwired to want to say YES! to every opportunity. Here’s why you need to say no more often… Businessman Warren Buffett once said, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no
Writers: Why you need to say no more often Read More »
