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 Saul Austerlitz. I read a New York Times Opinionator column headlined “The Lost Art of the Condolence Letter,” […]
An opportunity to play geographer… 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 six writing tips from novelist John Steinbeck…. It’s been several decades since I read East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1902-1968). I
Forget your generalized audience… Read More »
Reading time: About 1.5 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 piece of software — designed to help you write like Hemingway — available free on the Internet….. I’ve never been a
Can the Hemingway App help you? 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 on verbs by novelist Karen Bender. I hadn’t heard of Karen Bender until I read her paean to verbs in
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors from Kathryn Schulz. I had never heard of writer Kathryn Schulz before I read her hilarious article “That Goddamned Blue Bird and Me: How Twitter Hijacked My
The figurative language of Kathryn Schulz… 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 writers. Today I discuss an article that appeared in the Guardian newspaper describing novelist Philip Hensher’s unwillingness to write for free. Do you expect to be paid
Would you write for free? Read More »
Word count: 271 words 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 writers. Today I discuss an article written in 2001 by the late Elmore Leonard. It embarrasses me to admit that I’ve never read
Lessons from Elmore Leonard… Read More »
Word count: 228 words 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 writers. Today I discuss a series of photographs of young writers recently posted on Buzzfeed… When I was 20, I thought I
The author as a young man (or woman)… Read More »
Word count: 300 words 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 writers. Today I discuss a recent New York Times article written by Amy Shearn. I’m a working mother. In fact, I returned
Reflecting on mommy-guilt Read More »
Word count: 250 words 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 writers. Today I examine a mini-profile of William Zinsser. William Zinsser is the author of one of my favourite writing guides, On Writing
Clutter is the disease of American writing Read More »
