Power Writing began as a weekly newsletter in April 2006. Its purpose? To give tips and advice about writing, to tell stories in an interesting way and to help corporate writers (and others) work faster, better. This newsletter is still distributed by email to thousands of readers around the world every week and, since March 2012, has formed 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 directly under my photo on any page of my website. If you do that you’ll not only receive Power Writing by email each week, you’ll also automatically get a free copy of my booklet on mindmapping.
Reading time: About 5 minutes Lots of people know about the importance of deliberate practice. But few explain exactly how to execute it. Here are instructions on deliberate practice for writers. As you read my column today, I’d like you to keep one metaphor in mind. Imagine that you want to …
Why writers need deliberate practice Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you ever fought with how to get unstuck when writing? Here are seven tips that will help you put an end to that sticky problem…. You’re trying to write a book or long report and you’re feeling tired and uninspired. You peck out a …
How to get unstuck when writing Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’re trying to become a better writer, having a forgiving writing practice will make a huge difference… I led a writing workshop for an organization last week. In the Zoom-based meeting, I challenged the 10 participants to interview me and, then, write a lede …
Why writing is a practice… you need to practice Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you find yourself ignoring the writing you need to be doing? Or avoiding thinking about what went wrong in the past? You may be suffering from recency bias…. Even if you don’t know it by name, I’ll bet you’ve experienced recency bias. That’s the …
Is recency bias harming your writing? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you can’t answer the question, “what is bike shedding,” you may be doing it yourself — to your own disadvantage as a writer… My son phoned me recently to talk about… bike shedding. When he used the word, I was certain I must have …
What is bike shedding? And why you need to stop doing it Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Are you a person who thinks slow writing is inevitable? It needn’t be. If you want to bump up your speed, question the assumptions you’re making…. I’ve just read a marvelous non-fiction book by self-confessed productivity geek Oliver Burkeman. The name of it is, Four Thousand …
How to make your slow writing go faster Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes What is a form letter? The word “form” should give you a clue. Here’s a detailed explanation as to why you should never send one…. Are you guilty of sending form letters? I have a long-established blog about writing and I get about a dozen …
What is a form letter? And why you shouldn’t send one Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’d promised to become a more regular writer in 2022 and you’re already failing at your resolution, here’s how to stop putting off your writing… It’s nearing the end of January, the time when New Year’s resolutions start to fade into the background. Soon, …
How to stop putting off your writing Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you’ve ever chafed against limits — time, money, raw materials or client demands — read today’s post to learn how to be more creative despite constraints… One of my clients emailed me this week with an important question about habits. “I often try to …
How constraints help you learn how to be more creative Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you don’t know how to meet deadlines, my hunch is that you frequently say something like, ‘I’ll do this by the end of the month.’ Here’s why you should stop… How often do you tell yourself the lie that you’ll finish your project, report, …
Stop saying, ‘I’ll do this by the end of the month’ Read More »
