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: 736 words Reading time: About 3 minutes You know reading is good for you — right? Here are seven ways to make it even better so that your reading helps your writing… When people ask me the one thing they can do to improve their writing and I tell them to read more, […]
7 ways to ensure your reading helps your writing Read More »
Word count: 597 words Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Today I answer a question from a reader who is struggling with writing a memoir. His major challenge appears to relate to chronological order. Read on to learn more…. A reader named Richard submitted the following question to the Publication Coach: I want to write in
Is it okay to ignore chronological order? Read More »
Word count: 605 words Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Would you like to be a speed demon and demolish writer’s block? Here’s a new e-mail-based class that can help you double or triple your writing speed! It took me more than two hours to finish last week’s newsletter. Not because I’m a slow writer. In
Introducing your extreme writing makeover Read More »
Word count: 678 words Reading time: Less than 3 minutes As those of us in North America approach the end of summer, I offer five tips on how to return to work and beat seasonally-induced writer’s block, no matter where you live. As I sit down to write this column the rain pounds outside my window. The precipitation is
How to beat seasonally induced writer’s block Read More »
Word count: 719 words Reading time: About 3 minutes Today I answer a question from a reader who is struggling with the demands of academic writing. My response hinges on mindmapping Read on to learn more…. A reader named Autumn Alexander submitted the following question to the Publication Coach: “I’ve trained as a journalist and
Mindmapping that works vs TMI Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Are you a voracious reader? (You should be!) And I think the writers we read can give us great advice about their craft. Today, I launch a new feature about writers…. Readers, I’m beginning a new feature in Power Writing — roughly once a month my column will be
A few words with agent Nathan Bransford Read More »
Word count: 709 words Reading time: About 3 minutes A recent drop in e-reader prices makes this the perfect time to try out a sweet new technology that makes reading easier than ever… I’ve just returned from a week-long vacation on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. We filled our holiday with lots of beach time, plenty
Confessions of an e-reader addict Read More »
Word count: 559 words Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Hot is the opposite of cold. High is the antonym of low. And the profession of “writer” is generally diametrically opposed to “salesperson”…. Or is it?… Back when I was entertainment editor at a metropolitan daily, my phone used to ring several times an hour with
You’re in the word sales biz, baby! Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Are you still struggling with eating frogs — that is, tackling those important tasks you like to avoid? So am I! Here’s what I’m doing about it… I didn’t feel like writing this column today. Blame it, partly, on summer. When the weather becomes warm and the skies remain blue
More on the benefits of eating frogs… Read More »
Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Have you ever thought you might sound like a famous author? No need to read anymore. Just let the website “I write like” do all the work! Are you familiar with the writer David Foster Wallace? I had heard of him — especially following his suicide by hanging in 2008,
Why does Mel Gibson write like Margaret Atwood? Read More »
