About 10 years ago one of the more influential books I read was The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, a choreographer who has produced more than 130 shows and collaborated with the likes of Mikhail Baryshnikov. I remember taking copious notes as she revealed something that, at least to me, sounded revolutionary: Creativity is not … Continue reading The art and craft of creating a writing habit
It’s okay to be human – the power of tone
A few years ago my son, Owen, failed a hearing test. He was 3 years old at the time, and when I picked him up from daycare, his teacher handed me a sheet of paper with two line graphs showing that he had passed in his right ear but borderline failed in his left ear. … Continue reading It’s okay to be human – the power of tone
Meet your new best friend
One of my goals in life is to help anyone who writes realize that verbs are their best friend. Not nouns, adjectives, adverbs or prepositions. Not alliteration, similes or metaphors. Verbs! They are your best friend for three reasons: They give sentences power. They make you sound confident. They keep sentences simple. And yet we … Continue reading Meet your new best friend
Let me give you an example
Lately I’ve been listening to an audiobook called, The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting. As the parent of a 2-year-old who’s been perfecting the art of tantrums and a 4-year-old who never wants to go to bed, I can use all the help I can get. The book is read by the author, Brené Brown, a … Continue reading Let me give you an example
Insert clever headline here
When I was an editor at Crain’s Chicago Business, I sat next to one of the best headline writers in the business. He could sit at his desk all day and spit them out like a gumball machine, the ideas popping into his head, running down his arms, through his fingers and onto the keyboard. Chewy … Continue reading Insert clever headline here
The Writing Habit 