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Sometimes, you know, I feel like we’re getting distracted.

We focus on writing beautifully. We pick our words with care. We pay attention to punctuation. We try to avoid grammar and spelling goofs.

But do we forget the basics of writing well?
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Sometimes, I worry whether my writing is at risk of going stale.

I start to feel like I’m going around in circles. Sound familiar?

The most useful trick I’ve found for fixing creative staleness is to find fresh inspiration. So, I decided to read something completely different. Something outside my comfort zone …Read more »

Do you ever read a text and wonder … Why can’t I use words like that?

Some writers have a knack for dreaming up words that perfectly sketch an idea and paint a vivid image. How do they do it? Read more »

Do you ever wonder whether writing is easier for others?

You see people publishing new blog posts every week. Some people even publish a new book every year.

And it seems like they write without agony, without stress, without procrastinating.

But here’s the truth … Read more »

It’s been my practice to write a personal post at the end of each year.

But 2020 has been so complicated. I’ve found it at times hard to know what I was feeling. Uncertainty. Pain. Powerlessness. Sadness. Stress. Worry. Anxiety. Depression. Grief. Anger.

Still, I also felt lucky. I am good at being alone. I was already used to working from home, and I realized how much of a privilege this is …
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Can I just write?, asked A. All the SEO stuff bores me, and it kills my writing voice.

Sound familiar?

Often it may feel like writing for SEO means we can’t write well—as if writing for SEO doesn’t leave space for creativity, as if we have to choose between writing for readers and writing for Google. But that is not true. Shall I explain?Read more »

Writing is so weird, thinks Hannah.

She’d like to engage her readers. But her writing feels stilted … as if she’s talking into a vast empty space.

How can she feel closer to her readers? Read more »

“I’d like to reach through the screen, shove the clutter aside, and wipe a tear from my reader’s eye,” P. wrote to me.

Do you ever feel like that, too?

Do you feel like you want to puncture the online superficiality, and genuinely, warm-heartedly engage with your readers?
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Hannah feels stuck.

She has picked a good topic for her next blog post. She’s sure her readers will find it helpful.

But she’s soooo afraid her post will be boring that she can’t start writing. How can she inject a dose of creativity? Read more »

Have you heard of umami?

It’s the 5th taste. But unlike sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and saltiness, umami is more difficult to define. Umami is often translated as a savory taste, and soy sauce, steak, mushrooms, broth, and even some cheese all have umami.

A good writing style has umami, too. But what is it?
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