Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s column looks at the important topic of preventing mistakes — and dealing with the ones you haven’t been able to avoid making. I live in a glass house. No, I’m not talking about my own home, which we’re currently renovating. (Project to be finished Feb. 24! I’ll write about […]
My big fat mea culpa for mistakes Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s column tackles the controversial topic of multitasking. Is it the sign of a highly skilled writer or a totally delusional one? Read on to find out. I work mostly from home and I’m the mother of triplets. In some ways, I think I’m a marvelous multitasker. Heck, I practically defined
Are you frittering away your life by multitasking? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s column is five-step guide on how to kill creativity. Follow these steps carefully, and I guarantee you’ll never be able to avoid writer’s block ever again! There I was, sitting in a doctor’s office, waiting for my appointment. Actually, it was much later than my allotted time because the doctor
How to kill creativity Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s column is all about good habits and how to develop them. I’m not a big believer in new year’s resolutions. I’m the kind of person who already has a mile long “to do” list every day. Okay, well it’s not exactly a mile. But it is a full page,
How good writers forge good habits Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Dr. Wicked provides a great no-cost tool for anyone who wants to write faster. Back when I worked in daily newspapers, most of my buddies were journalists. One was named Peter and I liked his style. He was a great reporter — he could produce writing in a wide variety
In praise and honour of Dr. Wicked Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you ever experienced a butt-brushing while shopping? Worse, have you ever inflicted one while writing? Read on to learn more. Send me into a grocery store and I’ll happily spend an hour picking over produce and looking for the very best breads and cheeses. Point me in the direction
How to avoid butt-brushing your readers Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Last week’s column on mindmapping inveigled a large number of responses. One of them had me laughing. . . and thinking . . . and acting. . . Read on to find out more.. I received a cheeky and amusing email last week. It came in response to my recent column
How to take an honest leap at mindmapping Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Learn how a fight with a clerk in a back shop reminded me of the importance of not saying no. I have a twitchy back. Like many people, I was born with some scoliosis — an S-curve if you look at the back from the rear. And I also have some caiphosis —
A writer’s aching back and the “saying no” problem Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Do you ever do what I call desperation writing? Today’s post describes how to eliminate the “must” and find the desire to write. Are you ever desperate to get something written? And chronically unable to do it? Well, I have three suggestions for you. But first let me begin with
How to wipe out desperation writing Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes Do you ever delay and procrastinate with your writing? Today’s column provides an excellent (and no-cost) online tool for preventing writer’s block. It’s been snowing where I live. Okay, I know it’s January and all, and that might not seem like a strange complaint (unless you live in, say, Australia) but
Welcome to Dr. Wicked Read More »
