writing tips

Avoid Ten Typos (Almost) Everybody Makes

12:15AM Kevin Purdy | Being on top of your grammar is a skill that takes years of practice to refine into unthinking craft, but even the most word-minded among us can trip up when it comes how keyboards transpose our thoughts. Blogger Christopher Phin releases his inner copy editor and points out 10 errors one sees everywhere in digital writing, mostly due to not knowing what characters go exactly where. As someone who over-uses the “m-dash” a bit, I was glad to get schooling in the finer points of horizontal lines: More »

Hone Your Craft with Free Online Writing Courses

12:00AM Kevin Purdy | Web learning site Education Portal points to 10 universities (and semi-universities) that offer free online writing courses. Covering everything from fiction and screenwriting to technical documentation, the offerings range from course notes and texts to full lecture videos. For anyone looking to get started in the field or just explore their creative side, it’s a helpful list of resources to keep in mind. For more higher learning at very low prices, check out Wendy’s trip through the .EDU underground and ten universities with free online courses. 10 Universities Offering Free Writing Courses Online [Education Portal via Red Ferret Journal] More »

Write Better by Starting Early

12:00AM Kevin Purdy | Leo Babauta, author of the oft-linked Zen Habits blog, has taken on the subject of writing, and writing productively, with a new blog project, Write to Done. Already up are a number of helpful posts, including one I can definitely relate to about the benefits of early-morning writing. To take full advantage of the wee hours, however, requires some prep work: Research. Do your research the afternoon or evening before. That way, you’re ready to write and don’t have to be distracted by going online to look something up. Just look everything up the day before, and save it all to a text file, so you can write without having to go online. From experience, having your topic—or your post ideas—laid out in front of you makes the early morning the best time to get more done, without distractions or other responsibilities tugging at your attention. Have your own best practices for getting your word work done? Share your tips in the comments. How to Write First Thing in the Morning [Write to Done] More »

Beat Writer’s Block Just By Showing Up

8:00AM Wendy Boswell | Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Freelance Folder, a site for budding writers, suggests that by simply showing up for a scheduled writing time, you can eventually beat it: Sometimes your brain will freeze, your motivation will leave you, and your car won’t start. Showing up at your keyboard will solve two of those problems. If you’ve scheduled 8am to 9am to write, and you sit there for an hour and nothing comes out, you’ve still followed through on your appointment. When you sit down tomorrow your chances of breaking writer’s block skyrocket. A scheduled time for writing does seem to do the trick; it makes you accountable and gives you structure. What’s your best trick for beating writer’s block? Let’s hear your tips in the comments. 7 Can’t-Miss Ways To Kick-Start The Writing Habit [Freelance Folder] More »