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 Do you do your research with single-minded intent or do you know how to have a happy accident? My research for this column on the value of browsing — looking for something you didn’t know you were looking for, or having a “happy accident” — illustrates a profound problem with […]
In defence of browsing…OR how to have a happy accident Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time for Christmas gifts or winter reading? Here’s my semi-annual roundup of books I’ve read this year. For the first time in more than 20 years, I’ve been unable to read 52 books this year. I’ve been busy helping care for a very sick
Recommended books: winter 2021 Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Ever tripped up by directions? Learning to become better at following directions is a straightforward way to make yourself look smarter and to be more successful… When I was setting up my first apartment more than 40 years ago, I can remember sitting in a sea of junk in my
How to become better at following directions Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If writing is boring you, solve the problem by figuring out how to increase curiosity. More curiosity will be like a slap on the face or a cold shower. It will invigorate you! The very first paying job of my life was as a babysitter, at the princely sum of
How to increase curiosity Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re easily distracted, it’s going to be tough for you to write. Here’s how to increase your attention span, to make the work or writing easier. For a couple of years, my kids started calling me “Daphne,” instead of mom when they wanted to get my attention. Why? Somehow
How do you increase your attention span? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Survivorship bias might sound like a pointy-headed theory that has nothing to do with writing. But read on to learn why that’s a mistaken idea… I apologize for throwing a scary piece of jargon your way with the term survivorship bias. What does this strange phrase mean? And what does
How does survivorship bias give you dumb ideas about writing? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If your writing ever makes you feel helpless, it’s time for you to use learned hopefulness to inspire and support your writing… If the COVID epidemic has taught us anything, it’s schooled us in the concept of what psychologists call “learned helplessness.” Basically, this theory holds that when faced
How you can use learned HOPEFULNESS for your writing Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Did you learn about mindmapping in high school? Your teacher may not have told you that mindmapping for writing is one of the best ways to use the tool… When people use terms like “writer’s block” or “resistance” or “procrastination,” I have a ready answer for them. “Try mindmapping for
Mindmapping for writing – what people get wrong Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Are you ever undone by writing anxiety? Take some straightforward steps now to get this monster off your back! I’m lucky enough not to feel debilitating anxiety. Sure, I get nervous about things from time to time. But I don’t get that racing-pulse-sweating-palms-heart-in-the-throat feeling that my life is going to
Writing anxiety: how to beat it Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I post every Tuesday with my thoughts about writing. But, today, I’m asking you to tell me what’s on YOUR mind. I’m working to plan future articles and resources, and I would love to know the following: What’s one of the writing challenges you’re struggling with the most? Just
Tell me what’s bothering you Read More »
