Archive for November, 2007
Write, then worry about everything else
When you're under the gun (and even when you're not), one great way to waste time is to try to get everything perfect the first time around. Phrasing, flow, punctuation, even spelling and grammar. It's hard to be productive and prolific when you do that.
Instead, you should really try to get the first draft out [...]
Is good reviewing a dying art?
Sometimes, I think it is. And I’m speaking from experience.
Back in the day, I wrote a lot of reviews — mostly about software and hardware. To write a proper review, I’d (in the words of the folks at 37 Signals ) live with what I was writing about. I prided myself on spending at least [...]
ComputorEdge calling it a day (in print, anyway)
Last week, Anne Wayman posted a blog entry about a book titled Print Is Dead. While I don’t think that print is dead, I realize that it’s having a hard time. This hit home when I got an email from the editor at ComputorEdge magazine the other day. Sent to all freelancers who write for [...]
Finding elegant writing in some interesting places
Years ago, I read and thoroughly enjoyed William Zinsser’s book Writing to Learn, which illustrated some wonderful pieces of writing from a variety of disciplines. But for the most part, academic writing is very dry and dull. At least I’ve found that to be true.
So, imagine my surprise when I came across a physics paper [...]
Is your writing better when under deadline pressure?
In a recent blog post, white paper guru Michael Stelzner discusses how writing when busy, or on a tight deadline. And Stelzner is busy: he and his wife are expecting their third daughter.
Under the kinds of time constraints that accompany a new baby, Stelzner found that:
[T]he reality of a major event [...]
Editing your own writing
For many writers, editing their own work can be a tough job. Editing isn't easy, and chopping up your own work sometimes feels like you're amputating part of yourself. But editing is definitely something that you need to do before sending your writing off to an editor or publication.
This article offers five steps to [...]
Norman Mailer has died
I was shocked and saddened by the news of the death of Norman Mailer . While I wasn't a huge fan of his fiction (The Naked and the Dead and Harlot's Ghost being the exceptions), I was always in awe of Mailer's works of non fiction. The Executioner's Song was brilliant and poetic. Of a [...]
No more podcast
After a bit of thought, I’ve decided to put a stake through the heart of the podcast based on this blog. Why? Time. Or, more precisely, lack of it.
With family, my contract work, my freelancing, and co-producing another podcast I just didn’t have time to record and post a the Words on a page podcast. [...]
Common punctuation mistakes
Whether you’re writing for print or the online world, one of the skills that you need is an ability to properly punctuate. This blog post looks at six common punctuation mistakes that bloggers make. If you’re unsure about punctuation, take a peek at the post. It’s useful even if you don’t blog.