Reading time: Just over 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence by David Sedaris I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I used to host a book club and I’ll never forget the meeting about eight […]
The fine writing of David Sedaris Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently, which comes from a New Yorker article describing Steinway Hall. I remember exploring Steinway Hall’s quiet corridors about two years ago, when my
Steinway Hall has the ponderous stillness of a funeral home Read More »
Reading time: About 1.5 minutes I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. For many years, I subscribed to the magazine Cook’s Illustrated. I liked its old-fashioned appearance, complete with botanic drawings and the kind of fonts
Cook’s Illustrated dissed by NY Times Read More »
Word count: 238 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute A great way to improve your writing skills is to emulate the work of others. Here is a sentence I read recently that I’d happily imitate. I received the marvellous book Swallowing the Sea, by Lee Upton, as a birthday
A dare that begins with a writing prompt… Read More »
Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Do you regularly eat mangoes? Today I’ll explain why you should massage your mangoes — and, of course, your metaphors. I bought a new chair recently. This decision was a key part of my ongoing campaign to improve my wretched back. I’m also seeing a personal trainer
Why you should massage your mangoes — and metaphors Read More »
Reading time: About 2.5 minutes Do you ever struggle to find writing inspiration? Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert has some unusual thoughts about the origins of inspiration. Keep reading to find out more. When I read the memoir Eat, Pray, Love several years ago I was like a 14-year-old facing a
Do you have a demon for writing inspiration? Read More »
