Word Magic
An old friend and I chatted about writing fiction. Although she’s always wanted to write a novel, she worried: “What if I get bored and don’t finish it?” I suggested the “no excuses” method. The big benefit of this method is that you don’t have time to think and second-guess yourself. Several of my students have had great success with … Read more
If you want to improve your writing, develop copywriting skills. By “copywriting skills” I mean skills in writing to sell. As writers, we’re selling all the time, no matter what we write: a tweet, an email message—or a novel. Start by paying attention to what gets your attention, every day. If you want to develop copywriting skills, pay attention We … Read more
Good writing tools can make a huge difference. For me, the difference is motivation: good tools help me to maintain my motivation for writing. Of course, there are many other benefits of good writing tools. They: Encourage structure, whether you’re writing a book or a tagline for a client; Help you to maintain focus and clarity. Writing is chaotic. The … Read more
It’s Motivation Monday again. We’re two weeks into a brand new year. Question: did you make any New Year’s resolutions for this year? If you did, how’s your progress? I cheerfully admit that I’m rubbish at keeping New Year’s resolutions, so I no longer bother. If you’re not a “resolutions” fan either, try this. This Motivation Monday, make every day … Read more
This year, the most-read posts were about self-publishing fiction and writing (how to write.) Unsurprisingly, I’ll publish more of the same in 2021. A couple of my writing students asked: “can you still make money self-publishing fiction?” Is self-publishing fiction still viable in 2021? People love entertainment, so yes, self-publishing fiction is still viable going forward. That said, if you’re … Read more