Word magic.
Here’s one of my best writing tips: use the ASK process in all your writing. Not only does ASK clarify your writing to YOU (so that you know what you’re doing, and get confidence), it also helps you to write for readers. We looked at the ASK process in an article on how to make writing a book easier. However, … Read more
I’m a big fan of the Obsidian app, as you may know. It’s endlessly customizable and free for basic use. For the last three years it’s been an app I use every single day. Recently a student asked about my favorite Obsidian plugins for writing. Obsidian plugins: turn the app into your writing “home” (Feeling lost? For more info, visit … Read more
How’s your imagination? Everyone is creative and imaginative. However, writers tend to be more imaginative than most. As we discussed in this article on creative strategy, anxiety is a normal part of the creative process. Unfortunately, your imaginative faculties may make your anxiety worse: Here’s the thing about sudden unexplained anxiety: we tend to ascribe reasons to it to justify … Read more
I love this writing tip, “80 percent of success is showing up.” There’s some controversy about this quote: who said it first, and which variant was used first, whether it was said about “life”, or about “success.”’ Whatever—it’s a brilliant writing tip. A fundament writing tip: show up The quote’s often attributed to Woody Allen, who reports he did say, … Read more
Writers often complain to me that they have no imagination. (Of course you do!) I love this quote from famous novelist Anthony Trollope on developing your imagination so that you can create fictional characters. How to develop your imagination Sir Henry Brackenbury recounted a conversation he had with Trollope in his book, Some Memories of My Spare Time: I said … Read more