Like photography, all writing is in the edit. When you fall into writer’s block — a myth, by the way — you should move freely between devices, formats, and even different places in order to shake out of it. Here’s one recommended writing approach I encourage you to try: First, start writing on paper to help […]
Tag Archives: writing
Seth Godin on writer’s block
Writer’s block is a myth created by people who are afraid to the do the work. There are various reasons writers let the blank page get the best of their emotions. Trying to be too perfect Procrastinating en route to excuses that usually include the word “But….” Unwilling to fail or write poor sentences first […]
Essential writing advice from Anne Lamott
TED distilled fourteen writing tips from an interview conducted with novelist Anne Lamott. Her 1995 book Bird by Bird (Amazon) has become an essential guide for aspiring artists of all types. My favorite snippet from the interview appears when she’s asked to give her younger self some writing advice: “I’d teach my younger self to stare off […]
George Orwell’s 6 rules of writing
Indispensable writing rules from the author who also warned against doublethink.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life. I take a book with me everywhere I go, and find there are all sorts of opportunities to dip in. The trick is to teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows. Waiting rooms were made for books—of course! But so are […]
‘The writer feeds his book’
The writer feeds his book, he strengthens the parts of it which are weak, he protects it, but afterwards it is the book that grows, that designates its author’s tomb and defends it against the world’s clamour and for a while against oblivion. Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time
Hit send then proofread
Do you do your best proofreading after your writing is out there in the wild? Hitting publish button forces you to scrutinize your work more closely. If you’re lucky it’s a blog post you can go back and edit. If it’s a tweet or an email, you might be fat out of luck. All writing […]
‘The only art is to omit’
The only art is to omit. Robert Stevenson
Everything starts on paper
Everything starts on paper. Whether you are using post-it notes or loose leaf, paper is ideal for getting down thoughts and mapping out ideas quickly. In fact, some Google employees prohibit phones and use paper exclusively to brainstorm. The magic of writing in analog is a controlled speed, flexibility, and focus. “Everyone can write words, draw […]