Sometimes the best way to improve your writing is to stop editing and tackle it from a completely different perspective. The Limits of Editing and Revising When I wrote my first book, I figured that after almost a year of revising and editing, I pretty much had it...
I don’t always post about grammar and usage. But when I do … it’s fascinating. This is one of my latest peeves. And it’s more than just a nitpick. When people spell the past tense of the verb lead as lead it really trips up my reading. And...
I haven’t seen much of Joss Whedon’s work, but there’s no question he’s a prolific writer and creator, so I loved these tips of his on the writing process. Make Writing Fun For me, the big theme here is the idea of making the work of writing...
If you should ever fall out of love with writing, read a little F. Scott Fitzgerald. That will surely rekindle the flames. I’ve been reading The Great Gatsby in preparation for this week’s film premiere. There’s nothing like re-reading a book you...
When co-workers offer comments about something you wrote, do you accept their feedback with grace and ease or do you bristle like a threatened porcupine? If it’s the latter, be careful. You could get tagged as “difficult” — the Sean Young of...
When you’re providing feedback on other people’s writing, do you ever get a nagging feeling that they’re angry or resentful? It may be because you’re being a jerk. You can’t help it. You weren’t trained to be an editor. People who...