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: Just over 4 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time for holiday reading? Here’s my semi-annual roundup of books I’ve read this year. I aim to read 52 books every 12 months and my habit is to post a complete list of the names of them for you, in November and June. Here is a […]
Recommended books: Christmas 2018 Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 minutes You’re probably not an athlete so why am I talking about pep talks? They work! Even pep talks for writers…. As we approach the end of 2018, you may be facing feelings of regret or, perhaps, even dread. Do you find yourself thinking or saying any of the following
How to give yourself a pep talk that actually works Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes If overwork is not only getting you down but also making it difficult to write, don’t be a victim. Instead, take charge of the situation…. Are you feeling overworked? You may have this feeling with writing itself. Or, perhaps your regular day job is squeezing you so hard you
13 ways to prevent overwork from affecting your writing Read More »
Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Has the thought of hybrid publishing ever crossed your mind? Here’s why you might want to think twice…. We have hybrid cars, hybrid cuisines (think Japanese-American fusion) and, now, hybrid publishing. Those cars improve efficiency and reduce pollution. And that food is often innovative and delicious. So is hybrid
Why I’m suspicious of hybrid publishing Read More »
Reading time: About 4 minutes Writing a book seems like such a demanding job. Why would you want to blog before writing your book? Here are seven reasons…. I blogged for two entire years before I wrote my first book, 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better. At the time, I was highly self-critical of my lack
Why you should blog BEFORE writing your book Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes If you want to boost your writing creativity, consider reducing your writing time…. Do you dread writing? Feel uncomfortable and daunted by it? Want only to delay, postpone or procrastinate? Some psychologists have studied the relationship between our mental state and our creative output. And here’s the interesting point: they
Of time, happiness, creativity and writing accomplishments…. Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes I know it might seem unreasonable that you should be spending less time writing (particularly if you’re a procrastinator) but read on to learn why I offer this counterintuitive advice… I meet with clients every week who confess they don’t spend nearly enough time writing. They’re usually embarrassed and ashamed
Why you should spend LESS time writing Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Being called a copycat is generally an insult. Instead, I think it’s a valuable tool for writers to try… If you were ever able to sneak into my home office around 6 am on a weekday morning, you just might find me hunched over my computer, copying words written by another
Why you should be a copycat Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes How does your writing life intersect with your sleeping one? In fact, how much sleep do writers need, anyway? How often do you hear that it’s just about mandatory to start writing earlier in the day? About 30 seconds of research showed me that a great many people offer this advice
How much sleep do writers need? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Has a piece of writing ever left you stymied? My guess is that you may have overthought it. Here’s why overthinking is bad for writers… When I teach people about mindmapping, I try to be explicit about one thing. My use of the phrases “left side of the brain” and
Why overthinking is bad for writers Read More »
