Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you resolved to buff up your writing by including more stories in it? Here, I give you five solid suggestions for places to find great stories. I’ve written this newsletter for five years now, and while I’m always nervous when I send it out, […]
5 places for finding great stories Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes “Please, tell me a story.” That’s the devout plea of many of your readers, even non-fiction ones. And, if you tell them a good story, they’ll keep on reading…. A group of judges is gathered in court. But instead of looking grand and imperial in
7 darn good reasons why you should tell me a story Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes I travelled to Calgary to teach this week — and the airline flight provided a clear lesson on the importance of self-editing. Regardless of what my family will tell you, I try really hard not to rant. And by “rant” I mean, “complain in a
Are you ready for your final destination? Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes After a gap of many years, I’m suddenly back taking flute lesssons. And who knew they would come with a valuable writing lesson? Read on to learn more. I come from a musical family. My grandmother earned a double degree in piano and violin from
A big writing lesson from my flute teacher Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Have you ever considered any sort of continuing education for your own writing? It’s a great idea but you do need to consider a couple of issues first. Here are my tips. (Thanks to Miriam for the column idea.) I signed up to take a
5 ways to ensure you get a better continuing education Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Today’s column looks at three wildly unrelated topics and finds the key point they all share. I live in Vancouver, the 2010 Olympic host city although, I confess, sports don’t mean much to me. Still, when hockey player Wayne Gretzky lit the cauldron last
About the Olympics, my house and your writing Read More »
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
My big fat mea culpa for mistakes Read More »
Reading time: About 3 minutes Today’s column looks at the important topic of telling stories — admittedly, through the eyes of a horse! I have never ridden a horse. Nor have I had much interest in them. When I was in my early 20s, a journalist friend of mine was
Writing lessons from a horse? Check out Seabiscuit! 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
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
How to kill creativity Read More »
