As a former journalist and a communications consultant for more than 30 years, I devour books and articles about writing the way other people might eat bowlsfull of potato chips. If there is a book about writing, I’ve likely read it. (And if there’s a new one, I’m reading it shortly.) I also read about 90 blogs daily and scan the Internet voraciously, looking for new material about writing or related areas such as creativity, time management and freelancing. Writing about writing is a special pleasure for me because it helps me unite my core interests – reading and writing – and my lifetime of experience as a professional writer.
Reading time: Less than 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss an out-of-the-mainstream editing trick you might want to try…. I scan about 80 blogs each week looking for writing and editing […]
Out-of-the-mainstream editing tricks you can try Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss an article from the Economist on the passive voice…. When I work with many writers — particularly academic ones — I
Passive voice vs. word choice Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about how to share more than the facts… Are you one of those writers who wants to deliver only
Why you want MORE than the facts Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about creative rituals…. Do you have any creative rituals? For example, do you have a special place to write?
What are your creative rituals? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about feeling shame after publishing… A recent post on the website Lit Hub featured five writers talking about
Is it weird to feel shame after publishing? Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I address the question: is writing like homework? Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who was co-author of the 1980 and 1983 Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back
Is writing like homework? Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a post about taking a holiday from writing… People often ask me if it’s a bad idea to take a holiday from
Is it a bad idea to take a holiday from writing? Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blot post about song lyrics in books… Have you ever noticed how rarely you’ll hear the familiar melody “Happy birthday to
Can you quote song lyrics in books? (Without being sued?) Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a post about guest posting…. When I started blogging more than 15 years ago, I had 34 subscribers. All were friends and
The benefits of guest posting Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about how to find better comps… If you’ve never written a book, or never looked for an agent or
How can you find better comps? Read More »
