As writers, we need to determine the best time of day to write. The answer hinges on when our words flow best, balanced with when we encounter the fewest distractions. For me, this is the early morning. This is my prime time to write. If we fail to capitalize on our best time to write, […]
Anyone who’s been writing for more than a day or so knows that writing carries a bunch of rules. There are hundreds of rules or even thousands, perhaps a million, way too many to keep track of. These rules flood our minds and threaten to overwhelm. There are rules for how to punctuate a sentence, […]
The word literally means that something actually happened. However, too often, people use literally as an intensifier, effectively meaning figuratively—quite opposite of the original meaning. Consider, “He literally turned blue.” We don’t interpret this as a man becoming Smurf-like or joining The Blue Man Group, but more likely that he was having great difficulty breathing […]
Write Your 25-Word and 50-Word Bios Today before You Need Them The best time to write your author bio is before you need it. That means, write it today. I gave some pointers on this in my post, “Why You Should Write Your Author Bio Now.” We need multiple length bios for different uses, but […]
Weak Words like Very and Really That Drain Your Writing Most anyone who has heard me talk about writing knows of my disdain for the word very. I’m quick to strike it whenever I see it; only rarely does it survive my critical eye. Along with very, here are some words to avoid in your […]
Seven Tips to Grow as a Writer My original blog, Musings, has over 500 posts, totaling about 130,000 words, enough for two or three books. While many posts wouldn’t make for good book content, about half of them have potential. So, I’ve taken the best ones and organized them by topic to repurpose as a […]
My friend, an auto-mechanic, shared a story about his co-worker who was assigned a difficult repair that should have taken twenty-two hours, but it took him much longer. The next time the same job came in, he volunteered for it, this time finishing it quicker. Soon, every one of these repairs went to him. Each […]
Here are seven simple tips I use to make my writing stronger. Applying these seven simple tips will make your writing stronger—they help mine.
Should you use an outline when you write? The answer is maybe. If an outline helps you organize your thoughts, gives your piece structure, or streamlines the writing process, then use it. However, if an outline constrains your creativity, presents a roadblock to starting, or slows you down, then don’t use one. Sometimes I use […]
When I first entered the workforce, I asked an older, wiser friend to review my resume. She chastised me for using the word telephony, laughing at my “made-up word.” Even though I used it correctly and my prospective employers would (likely) understand it, my friend’s mirth and Master’s degree intimidated me, so I removed telephony […]