Topic : How to write
What makes a good column? Like any piece of writing, a column needs a beginning, middle, and end — here starts the middle of this one. Beginning with a joke, as I did above, an intriguing question, or an outlandish statement may hook readers, but once you've got 'em hooked, you need to give 'em ideas worth listening to, or they'll quickly yawn and turn the page.
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingHow to Overcome Fear of Writing May 12, 2014 By Daphne Gray-Grant
Here's the most dangerous thing I've ever done: When I was about 25, I went on a spur-of-the-moment hiking trip with an athletic friend who was back in Vancouver, where I live, for a visit. I didn't know where we were going, so I just threw on my hiking boots and grabbed a pack and the food I was asked to bring.
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingWhen Is the Best Time to Write? April 11, 2014 By Daphne Gray-Grant
I was born a night owl. I used to think 2 am was the perfect bedtime and I resented having to get up before 8:30. Paradoxically (or perhaps I mean, annoyingly), I had to be at work by 6 am in the years I worked as a senior newspaper editor. I loved my job but I was miserable, sleepwise.
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingNine Ideas Writers Need to Give Up March 11, 2014 By Daphne Gray-Grant
This is a list of ideas you should give up if you want to become a writer. It's short, but don't assume I produced it quickly. It took me 30 years to learn some of these lessons.
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingNine Ways to "Lift" Your Quotes February 12, 2014 By Daphne Gray-Grant
My training as a writer came from newspapers. I started at a community weekly and then advanced to a metropolitan daily. I was really young when I learned how to handle quotes; not all corporate writers are so lucky. If you ever struggle with quotes, here's a list of rules that will make the process easier for you.
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingWhy You Should Try This Magic Bullet for Writers January 14, 2014 By Daphne Gray-Grant
I was speaking at a conference several years ago and talking about mindmapping. I spotted one tall, skinny guy in the middle of the very large hotel conference room, smiling and nodding his head vigorously. I could also see a few rather grumpy faces — people who looked either disappointed or disbelieving. A few even looked angry!
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingWhy Writers Should Embrace Ambiguity December 11, 2013 By Daphne Gray-Grant
When I learned I was pregnant with triplets, 20 years ago, I was desperate to know their gender. Did I, God forbid, have three boys? (In my mid-30s, I was sure I didn't have the energy for that!) Now, with the benefit of many years of parenting, I can recognize my desire for that knowledge as not just mere curiosity. It arose out of my intolerance for ambiguity.
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