Nowadays, immediacy is the norm. Mobile phones offer the possibility of constant contact, and app and media stores offer instant downloads of purchases. When we’re required to wait for something, such as a reply to an email, we often feel slighted as if a lack of immediate response means we’re not important. Sometimes it doesn’t, and here’s why.
If you consume a lot of media across a variety of formats, there’s a good chance you’ll forget what you thought about a book, movie, game or anything else. To help you remember, you can take philosopher Michel de Montaigne’s advice and write small notes to yourself in your collection.
When you’re applying for a new job, you inevitably have to write a cover letter to accompany your resume and serve as an introduction to who you are. These letters must be brief yet compelling, so you don’t require much of the reader but still come across as unique. This can be tough, but if you utilise the principles of good storytelling and concise writing you can put together a letter that won’t get lost in the pile. Here’s how.
Do you keep a bunch of dried out Sharpies wasting space in your pen holder? DIY blog The Art of Doing Stuff suggests you can often revive a permanent marker by soaking it in rubbing alcohol.
Mac/iOS: We’ve mentioned that regular writing can have big mental and emotional benefits, and even how keeping a work journal can help your career, but to really get into the habit of regular writing, you’ll need a tool that encourages you to do it — one you’ll enjoy using. If pen and paper doesn’t suit your fancy, try Day One, a journaling app that looks great and helps you keep track of every entry you make.
As much as we all put on a brave face, dealing with life’s crap every day can take a toll on our self esteem. Blog Pick the Brain has a great suggestion for a pick-me-up when you need it: keep a journal of awesomeness, full of the great things you do every day, and look at it whenever you need a personal lift.
Want to start a free blog using nothing but text files and a service you already know and love? Scriptogr.am can turn a folder in your Dropbox account into a simple blog. You just sign up, write some posts in Markdown format, and you’re done.
If you’ve worked in an office, chances are you’re surrounded by people who use cliched phrases like “touch base” and “circle back” every time they’re in a meeting, delivering a presentation or giving a speech. Whether or not these phrases once had meaning, they’ve long since lost their meaning for many. They’ve actually got the opposite effect now, because they’re so cliched. So which phrases should you avoid? Meeting Boy has a list.
This year I took on the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a complete novel in 30 days for the second year in a row. I succeeded, and I’m proud of myself — but it also made me realise how much time I’m wasting the other 11 months of the year.
National Novel Writing Month came to a close yesterday, and now that you have your 175-page near-masterpiece on paper, it’s time to get to the process of editing. We’ve tallied up a few of our favourite tips from writers and some great apps for editing to help you along your way.
