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 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 an article about Italo Calvino… I once worked for an editor who believed that Italian journalist Italo Calvino (1923 to 1985) […]
Are you a hedgehog, fox, eagle or hummingbird? 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 article on NOT writing by Bill Hayes…. It amuses me that my topic for today’s post is a New York Times article carrying
Could not writing be a good thing? 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 a terrific new book written by Phyllis Rose… Anyone who knows me is aware that my nose is frequently in a text of one
Adventures in extreme reading 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 headlined, “A Tiny Good Deed Can Go a Long Way”…. The article I want to discuss today — A Tiny Good
The surprising results of tiny good deeds… 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 song about word crimes written by Weird Al Yancovic… I was charmed when my friend Marcelle sent me a link to
What does Weird Al know about word crimes? 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 messy desks written by David Burkus… I’ve long advocated that writers clear their desks before writing. I hold this feeling
The benefits (?!) of messy desks Read More »
Reading time: About 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 written by New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer. What parts of our brains are working when we write? That question has fascinated me
What part of your brain does the writing? 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 of interest to other writers. Today I discuss an article written by Clay Shirkey. I began my working life in newspapers. My parents owned a struggling weekly and
Nostalgia and newspapers 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 an article written by Tim Kreider. I hadn’t heard of Tim Kreider until I regularly started reading the New York Times Opinionator
Not necessarily shown to your best advantage… 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 an article written by Amy Klein….. I’m not a big supporter of most writing groups. In brief, I think they expose writers to
If the story does not move forward, there is no story… Read More »
