Academic Writing Doesn’t Have to Be Awful (But Most Times That’s What It Is)

by | May 24, 2021 | Academic Writing | 2 Comments

When I was a professor, one of the most unpleasant aspects of the job was all the bad writing. I don’t mean by people who couldn’t write. I mean by people who had been taught—through years of graduate school followed by years of publishing in academic journals—to...
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Writing Nonfiction: Know Your Audience

by | April 23, 2021 | Writing nonfiction | 0 Comments

When writing nonfiction, you need to know your audience. As a writing coach of primarily nonfiction and memoir, I’m struck by how often writers with good minds and creative ideas, try so hard to appeal to a wide audience that they fail to know their audience and risk...
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Should I Write a Book?

by | April 1, 2021 | Writing | 0 Comments

Whether it’s a pandemic, an injury, a layoff or the kids are finally in school or college, when facing a stretch of time on your hands, it’s not uncommon to ask, “Should I write a book?” You may want to write a book because you’ve had an interesting life, something...
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How To Write A Memoir

by | March 10, 2021 | Writing memoir | 0 Comments

Are you wondering how to write a memoir? With COVID-19 keeping most of the world housebound these days, a lot of people are thinking about writing that memoir they’ve always wanted to write. And if you’re one of them, one of the first things you might be wondering is...
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Writing a Nonfiction Book—Where to Begin

by | May 31, 2017 | Writing | 1 Comment

When I was setting out to write my dissertation, someone gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me and helped me to write many books. And that piece of advice is this: never start with an outline. Outlines have a tendency to stretch infinitely, which only makes...
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Writing a Memoir

by | May 22, 2017 | Writing | 0 Comments

Have you been told by friends and family that you really should write a book, given your life experiences? Have you been through a remarkable event or series of events and you’re ready to write it down? Whatever your motivation for writing a memoir, here are a few...
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Writing a Book for Money

by | May 16, 2017 | Writing | 2 Comments

In my last post I encouraged you to get online and find out what other books are out there that are similar to your own. Understanding the market and the competition is key to getting started. But that doesn’t mean you need to conform to either the market or the...
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How to Write a Book— Your First Steps to Writing Fiction, Nonfiction or a Memoir

by | April 4, 2017 | Writing | 0 Comments

How to write a fiction, nonfiction or memoir book There are as many ways to write a book as there are people to write them. And if you are determined to write a book, one way or another you’re going to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. But after writing...
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Writing a Nonfiction Book—Where to Begin

by | May 31, 2017 | Categories: Writing. Tags: how to write, nonfiction, writing, and writing nonfiction.
Writing a Nonfiction Book—Where to Begin

When I was setting out to write my dissertation, someone gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me and helped me to write many books. And that piece of advice is this: never start with an outline. Outlines have a tendency to stretch infinitely, which only makes it harder to finish. Instead, write the Table of Contents. That’s right—skip the outline and go straight to the ToC. Begin with...

Writing a Memoir

by | May 22, 2017 | Categories: Writing. Tags: how to write, memoir, and writing memoir.
Writing a Memoir

Have you been told by friends and family that you really should write a book, given your life experiences? Have you been through a remarkable event or series of events and you’re ready to write it down? Whatever your motivation for writing a memoir, here are a few things to keep in mind before you get started. First, a memoir is not an autobiography. Nobody wants to read the life story of a...

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