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: Less than 4 minutes If you’re someone who’s easily distracted, learning how to focus when writing will give you a big payoff in productivity… Do you ever sit at your computer and find the prospect of writing to be defeating you? You know you need to work on your paper (or report or […]
How to focus when writing Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Time is precious. If you want to make time to write, it’s not hard. But you’re going to have be persistent and dedicated about it. My schedule is jam-packed. Each day I race between writing projects, meetings and necessary admin work that only I can do. I’m not complaining. I
How to make time to write – part 2 Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you know how important stories are to writing? Learn how to be a great storyteller… Our dishwasher broke last week. It was an expensive model — a Bosch — and only three years old so I was plenty peeved. Making matters worse, our triplets were celebrating their birthday
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Reading time: Just over 5 minutes Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, focusing on the most useful, helpful and entertaining pieces for writers. Handle your perfectionism Are you a perfectionist? Many writers tell me they are although I usually find the bigger problem is their inability to delay gratification. Still,
PubCoach top 10: March 2021 Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you have any bad habits with writing? Here’s how to demolish them so you can learn to write with ease, grace and pleasure… When people tell me they cannot write, I never suggest they get more disciplined or work harder. Instead, I try to help them figure out
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes If you think sunk costs are a topic suitable only for economists, read on to learn how this issue affects writers as well. Do you ever do any of the following: Work for a client who belittles you or who pays you poorly? Accept writing or editing contracts for
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Reading time: Just over 4 minutes (but very skimmable) Here are my 10 favourite articles or posts from last month, focusing on the most useful, helpful and healthful pieces for writers. While my Texan friends are digging out from the snow and trying to re-establish their essential connections, I’m reminded once again of the wonders
Pubcoach top 10 February 2021 Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes Do you ever despair that you’re just not creative enough? Understand that it’s not a special gift; you, too can learn to be more creative. I am friendly, quiet, highly-organized, very determined — even stubborn. I have never seen myself as the least bit creative. Nevertheless, I have always been drawn
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Getting more information is not always wise. Don’t let yourself be tripped up by the perils of information bias… Do you often postpone or delay making decisions? Does researching sound more enticing to you than writing? Are you the type of person who adores spending time in the library
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Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Are you someone who believes you just don’t have enough time to do what you want? Here’s how to find more time for writing…. The hardest part of doing just about anything is getting started. For you, this principle might apply to reading, cleaning your garage, working on your
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