I’m 57. I’m happy. I’m doing what I love. This didn’t happen by accident. Thanks to my writing teachers, and to those who really taught me to write: Dena, Jon, Bill Blue, and all my editors at Forrester. Thanks to those who supported me, believed in me, and boosted my confidence: Kimberley, Ray, Isaac, Mom…
You’ve completed a draft and you’d like a review. This is your chance to tell the editor clearly what you need. Or, you could start with excuses. It’s your choice. When you turn over a draft for editing, there’s always stuff that you worry is weak or wrong. Resist the urge to hide your weaknesses. This is…
When you’re planning to write, but before you’re actually writing, you create an outline. Unfortunately, most outlines are worthless. You need a better outline: a fat outline. Outlines are helpful for mapping out the structure of a long piece of writing — anything more than 1,000 words (a couple of pages). An outline ought to help the…
When William Zinsser died in May, his obituaries praised his his book On Writing Well, originally published in 1976. It sold 1.5 million copies and, according to the back cover, was “[c]ited by critics as the natural companion of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style” (of course). So I read the copy I found for a…
All good blog posts are the same. They begin with a startling idea that grabs you right off. Like sitcoms or romance novels, they have a formula. You get sucked in, even though you subconsciously know this. Have you noticed the rhythm that blog posts share — and the fact that many start with a rhetorical question? Then they add some detail…
Bibliomotion is more than a publisher, it’s a partner for authors. They focus on building your business around your book. If you’re looking for a publishing partner that focuses on the challenges of authors rather than the size of the advance, Boston-based Bibliomotion is worth a look. Here’s my interview with Erika Heilman, Bibliomotion’s cofounder and publisher….
Christopher L. Gasper is a Boston Globe sportswriter. His metaphors startle the reader, jarring you from the trance of reading and making you say “wha?” Learn from his excesses. I’ve recommended that you avoid cliches in your writing. Don’t say “dumb as a post” if you can say “dopey as Sarah Palin.” But there’s a limit. When…
You might be new at work. You might be shy. Maybe you’re just not at your best in person. Learning to write without bullshit could be the best way to boost your career. We all have an image of the “leaders” at work. They can stand in front of a group and inspire us. They’re…
I am strongly, deeply, and clearly opposed to the terrorist attacks in Paris. Sounds strangely flat, doesn’t it? Why state what everyone knows? Shouldn’t I be writing about thoughts and prayers, or the causes of terrorism, or vengeance, or something? As I watched the flood of messages on social media this weekend, I became fascinated by…