When you spend all your time planning instead of writing — A child stands at the end of a dock on a summer afternoon, gazing into the lake. She wants to jump in and swim, but spends a long time preparing herself. She sits on the edge of the dock and dangles her feet in the top inches of the lake…

Why “serious” topics benefit from levity — Humor. We love reading it, but many of us shy away from writing it. Done well, humor looks effortless. That’s usually an illusion. But, just like telling a story, getting someone to smile is a skill that we can practice and improve. Many of the nonfiction authors I admire approach…

They show you where to polish in revision — Eighty-nine. That’s how many times the word some appeared in my current manuscript of just over 21,000 words. And while not a huge number, 89 is far too many for a word like some. Some isn’t a terrible word, but it’s not great, either. It represents a certain mental laziness…

Watching cat videos before writing might be okay — You know the joy of writing when the ideas flow freely? When your Muse shows up, supplying words and images as you draft? Set yourself up for that delightful state by embracing a sense of fun. Putting yourself in a positive mood before you write pays off in creativity. Today…

A Simple Way to Make Your Writing Lighter — “This doesn’t seem as light as the earlier chapters,” said my coaching client as she showed me the first draft of a chapter. She has a wise, witty voice that she captures well in her writing. But for this chapter, she wasn’t feeling the fun yet. Being fun and light…

How to Win Your Reader’s Attention — Join me in a quick thought experiment about reading and writing. Imagine that you’re strolling through an old-fashioned arcade with a few tokens in your pocket. At this arcade, each game costs a token, but most dispense tokens as you play and meet goals. Some games only cost one token…

What’s stealing time and attention from your writing? — Do you have problems finding the time to write? If so, you’re not alone. A few years ago, I surveyed hundreds of current and aspiring nonfiction authors. The biggest barrier people reported was finding the time. Why is that? …

We don’t always realize the tone or mood we’re projecting in words — Did you know that your brain has a “mute” button for your speaking voice? When you speak, it dampens the reception of sound waves through the air, prioritizing the sound generated from the vibrations inside your head. That’s why our voices sound so strange to us on recordings. We grow…

How do you feel about your writing voice? — I never thought much about my writing voice until I started freelancing as a marketer in the tech industry. I spent years slipping in and out of distinct brand personas and ghost-writing for executives. This work taught me how to shape-shift my voice. Unexpectedly, I discovered it was fun. Your…