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 3 minutes How long does it take you to write something? How you answer this question may be one of the most important decisions you make… Our society lavishes praise on anything involving time and money. Is something expensive? It must be really good. Did you take a long time to […]
How long will it take you to write this? Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes When I say there’s value in writers collaborating I DON’T mean “writing together” as Google suggests. I’m referring to a more generic type of collaborating — more like helping and supporting each other. My kids inducted me into the Nerdfighters club, curated and executed by best-selling author John Green and his
The surprise value in collaborating as writers Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s message may seem a little strange but you can learn how to write faster by going on holiday or at least by pretending that you’re going to… We went on the worst holidays ever when I was a kid. We had no money so we always had to camp.
How pretending you’re going on holiday can help you write faster Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Looking for summer book suggestions? I’m on track for reaching my year-end goal of reading 52 books and here is my semi-annual accounting that may give you some reading ideas of your own. My habit is to post for you the names of ALL the books I’ve read, twice a
Recommended books: Summer 2014 Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you need to write? Here are some suggestions for how to improve your focus… As I write this column, I’m feeling overwhelmed. Why? I just said goodbye to a contractor who carved a hole in our dining-room ceiling. He was investigating a leak
How to improve your focus Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Have you ever thought of the value of self-talk? I’d always seen it as a liability but there are ways in which it can help you… I adore open-area offices. When I started working in a newsroom 30 years ago — with a hundred reporters and editors, each with
The value of self-talk for writers Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes For some people perfectionism and writing go together like salt and pepper or a hammer and nails— you don’t have one without the other. Here’s some advice on how to fix that…. I injured my arm while making Hollandaise sauce, about six weeks ago. It took me a while
How to deal with perfectionism and writing Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Over the last two weeks, I’ve written about why and how to paraphrase. If the thought of this still makes you nervous, here’s a guide to a faster, better approval process from the people you’ve interviewed… Many corporate communicators go crazy with what’s known, euphemistically, as the “approval process.” Usually, a
My ninja secrets to a faster, better approval process Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Last week I wrote about the “why” of paraphrasing. Today, I explain how to paraphrase…. Before you read today’s post, decide who you are: Are you a university student, writing a thesis or essay? If so, refer to part 1. Are you a corporate communicator or freelance writer? If so,
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Paraphrasing isn’t a job just for academics. It’s something that all writers need to learn how to do… When I was in high school and university, I hated writing. I adored editing, mind you, but I found the pain of extracting that first draft torturous. The most painful part?
Why you should paraphrase more Read More »
