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 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 […]
How to read your way to better writing Read More »
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
Why writers are so bad at estimating time (and how to fix it) Read More »
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 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 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?
How writers can regulate emotions (without suppressing them) Read More »
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
The typing speed secret that makes you a better writer Read More »
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
Digital happiness: How to stop your devices from eating your writing time Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you resolved to improve your writing habits for 2026? Don’t leave it up to your New Year’s resolutions… I used to find it exceptionally difficult to exercise. I’d delay, postpone and prevaricate. The thought about my need to exercise rested on my shoulder like a judgmental parrot that wouldn’t
Writing habits that actually stick: Why New Year’s writing resolutions fail Read More »
Reading time: About 5 minutes Writing is always going to be harder after a holiday. But taking a break isn’t a mistake! Here’s how to get back into writing after a break… Did you eat too many chocolate-dipped shortbreads this Christmas? Drink lots of glasses of eggnog or mulled wine? Nip out of town for
How to get back into writing after a break Read More »
No posts from me this week as I’m taking some time off to celebrate Christmas and the new year. I hope you get a break, too, and I’ll be back in time for next week’s Power Writing, Dec. 30. Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!
