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 a Guardian article about the value of plot… I wrote a piece, many years ago, for an online magazine, in which […]
What’s the value of plot? Read More »
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 blog post by Seth Godin… If you need to improve your writing you might think about improving your reading. The fastest, least
Read more blogs, says Seth Godin 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 new summertime feature in the New York Times… Back when I worked in the newspaper business, I learned the practice of
Reading time: Less than two 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 a blog post by Michael Nobbs…. Do you fail to write because the task seems too big or too daunting to you? I see this
Why you should rein in your big, hairy audacious goals… Read More »
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 a Brain Pickings blog post about Annie Dillard… Annie Dillard is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both
Spend it all, counsels Annie Dillard 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 an blog post written by John Ellsworth… John Ellsworth doesn’t know much about how to design an attractive blog post. Look at it! No
John Ellsworth shows the benefits of self-publishing Read More »
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 article on handling criticism… What to you do when someone criticizes your writing? Put your hands over your ears? Argue with
Advice on handling criticism Read More »
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 a discovery on brain research reported in the science journal Nature… New brain research, published recently in the prestigious science journal
New brain research reveals how we hear stories Read More »
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 a video featuring author Elizabeth Gilbert….. I watch TED talks all the time but only recently discovered a link to 10
See how TED curates author videos Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute Sometimes writing seems hard and complicated and thankless. But when such feelings seek to overwhelm you, remember the advice of Neil Gaiman and simply make good art… As we approach another season of university commencements I’m drawn again to the very wise words of author Neil Gaiman (pictured above.) Addressing