Power Writing

Reading time: About 3 minutes The NATO typo shows why we need to learn from our mistakes and not obsess over them… It was a jaw-dropping typo. And it appeared in an astonishing place — the New York Times. In a headline. It read: “A North American Treaty Organization Without America?” In fact, if you […]

Reading time: About 3 minutes Writing feels hard for many people. Check out my eight suggestions for dealing with that problem. I’m running a one-hour class on revising this week — perfect for writers who’ve taken courses with me before, though of course anyone can jump in. We’ll tackle structure, clarity and how to polish

Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you know how to fix writing weaknesses? Do you recognize them when they appear in your drafts? Learning to deal with weakness is an important step for any writer… Let’s tackle your writing headaches together! Join me for a free live Q&A on April 2 at 1 p.m. Pacific

Reading time: About 3 minutes Don’t let writer’s guilt prey on your nerves or get in your way! It’s a totally unnecessary emotion… When I wrote my honours thesis in poli sci many decades ago, I was consumed with guilt. I’d taken too long. I’d changed my topic once and wanted to change it again

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