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: 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 »
Word count: 796 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Here is the second entry in my three-part series on Deliberate Practice for writers. Be sure to read part 1 first! Here is the most important thing to know about Deliberate Practice. It is not a writing activity. It’s either a
How to use Deliberate Practice when writing – part 2 Read More »
Word count: 746 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Here is the first entry in my three-part series on Deliberate Practice for writers. I’ll never forget the headline that led me to Cal Newport. It read: “How an MIT postdoc writes 3 books, a PhD defense, and 6+ peer-reviewed papers
How to use Deliberate Practice when writing – part 1 Read More »
Word count: 755 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Do you need some writing help? Here’s a clear and plain list of what I can do for you. When I work or volunteer, I never get asked to sell. Instead, I tend to do things that are literary, organizational or
Do you need some writing help? Read More »
Word count: 758 words Reading time: About 3 minutes If your son or daughter — or you — needs to learn how to write an essay or a shortish report, here is a column you might want to copy and tape to your fridge…. It’s a red-letter day in my household.
How to write an essay without losing your mind Read More »
