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.
Word count: 794 words Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Looking for some book suggestions in time for Christmas? I’ve just reached my goal to read 52 books this year. (For more book suggestions, be sure to check out my list from June, as well.) My habit is to post […]
Recommended books: Christmas 2012 Read More »
Word count: 758 words Reading time: About 3 minutes When I remember to use my SAD light, it helps me. But what else am I forgetting about? Vancouver has mostly a temperate climate. Crocuses start to poke through the dirt in late February or early March and people can be
Let there be light! Read More »
Word count: 717 words Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you frequently find yourself asking, “why is writing so hard?” (with or without an expletive!) I wrote today’s column expressly for you… Twenty years ago, if you’d ask me to describe the single task I found most difficult, I
Why is writing so hard? Read More »
Word count: 745 words Reading time: About 3 minutes This will sound counterintuitive, but, in order to improve your writing, sometimes you may need to stop writing. Just as making great music isn’t always about being pitch perfect (think of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen), writing isn’t always about, well, writing.
10 non-writing activities that will improve your writing Read More »
Word count: 750 words Reading time: About 3 minutes It’s hard to feel much joy when you’re reading really bad writing. But I have an idea that might just help turn your frown upside down… The managing editor couldn’t have been any nastier. “We’ve had a bomb threat,” he said
Why you should appreciate some bad writing Read More »
Word count: 731 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Attention Deficit Disorder doesn’t just affect school children. It can also have an impact on writers. Read on to learn more…. Last week I was visiting a friend who lives in downtown Vancouver. We were sitting in her living room, chatting, and
Does your writing have attention deficit disorder? Read More »
Word count: 642 words Reading time: About 2.5 minutes If you want to produce effective writing, stop looking at your writing and start considering what you’re actually doing! What’s the trick to effective writing? I think the biggest secret is to stop focusing on the product – the piece of writing
The secret sauce to effective writing Read More »
Word count: 753 words Reading time: About 3 minutes There are some funny similarities between writing and practicing piano…. I desperately wanted piano lessons as a child. Too bad for me my parents couldn’t afford them. Instead, I watched enviously as my classmates carried their music books under their arms
What practicing piano teaches you about writing Read More »
Word count: 746 words Reading time: About 3 minutes I’m a big believer in templates and systems. But what should you do if your writing process suddenly stops working for you? I really struggled with writing the last two issues of Power Writing. (I’m hoping you didn’t notice.) Ironically, those
What do to when your writing process fails you Read More »
Word count: 688 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Here is the final entry in my three-part series on Deliberate Practice for writers. Be sure to read parts 1 and 2 first. (On the suggestion of reader Tracy Isaacs I rewrote this post on Oct 30 to express it in a more positive way
How to use Deliberate Practice when writing – part 3 Read More »
