Now that I've worked on both sides of the desk — as a writer and editor — for more than 35 years, I have a well-developed sense of what you have to do to make editors like you. Here are 10 sure-fire ways.  Continue reading...

Emotional Intelligence might sound like another woo-woo, New Age theory. In fact, it is a scientifically proven phenomenon that has huge implications for all of us. Especially writers.  Continue reading...

I'm a big believer in making mistakes. This is because mistakes show you're pushing yourself. You're trying to learn new things. You're trying to get better at what you do.  Continue reading...

Ask yourself: Is there anything so urgent that it cannot wait for a mere 60 minutes? Then turn off your email and phone and start to write.  Continue reading...

I've become a pro-doodling zealot after reading the book The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown. If you're a writer or a student or a business executive or a... well, anyone, really... you should doodle.  Continue reading...

If I were the Queen of the World, I'd give every would-be writer the determination to produce a few hundred words first thing in the morning. Yet many writers can't possibly write in the morning for a variety of good reasons, and if you're one of them, this column is for you.  Continue reading...

We take for granted much of a book's white space: margins; paragraph indents; section breaks; extra space given to chapter-opening pages; extra space at the end of chapters left blank. Yet white space plays a crucial role in writing.  Continue reading...