If you identify as a writer, people will ask you for feedback on their writing. These requests come in many forms: A friend’s son asks if you can look at a college essay A work colleague emails you a project report to review A relative shows you a memoir they’re writing Your spouse asks you […]
Enlisting Your Future Self as Your Writing Partner
Writing can be a tough and lonely road – and sticking to long-term writing plans bedevils many aspiring writers. So writers look for external support for their processes, and accountability for their goals. These external supports may include: In-person writing or critique groups Social media groups (Facebook groups are a popular option) Writing coaches But […]
Reviews Make You a Better Business Writer
If you write on the job, then you know that you’re not really done with a project until it makes it through reviews and approvals. A lingering review process can add weeks or months to a project, frustrating everyone involved. Many writers think of the review/approval process as the last hurdle that their work has […]
What’s Your Mountain?
“A mountain is just a series of hills.” My father gave me that advice as I hesitated atop a particularly lengthy, mogul-filled ski run. Dad was a wonderful skier and my first ski instructor. He understood that standing atop that slope, I needed perspective and courage, not instruction. A mountain is just a series of […]
Balancing Frequency, Length, and Substance in Writing
Why I’m Changing My Blogging/Email Frequency When I started out writing blog posts, the standard advice for building an online presence was to publish frequently, to encourage audience engagement. Experts advocated blogging daily, or at least three times a week. Heck, I figured once a week would be a stretch. And at first, it was. […]
The Gift of Subscriptions: A Mixed Bag (or Box)
Every year, around this time, I struggle with that age-old problem: shopping. What should I get family members who are distributed around the country? (My own needs are quite simple: books, chocolate, and tea, in case anyone asks…) I spend a fair amount of time thinking and talking about subscription businesses – I even wrote […]