Reading time: About 1 minute Nicholas Read likes to remind writers that words on a page — any words — are always better than a blank page…. Nicholas Read is a former journalist and journalism instructor and a passionate defender of animal rights. Now retired, he still writes the occasional column for the Vancouver Sun newspaper. He is the author of six non-fiction books: The Salmon Bears, The Sea Wolves, The Great Bear Sea, City Critters, A Home Away from Home and Caring for Critters. He is also author of two young-adult novels: One In A Million and Saving Emily. I was excited to ask Nick som ..read more

Reading time: About 3 minutes Ed Gandia likes to use mindmapping to keep himself creative during the writing process. Read this interview to learn the other strategies he employs…. Ed Gandia is a business-building coach who works to help established freelance writers and copywriters earn more in less time. His High-Income Business Writing podcast is one of the top freelancing and writing podcasts on Apple Podcasts and his insights and advice have been featured in Forbes, Inc. magazine, Fast Company, The Christian Science Monitor, The Atlanta Journal Constitution and The Writer, among others ..read more

Reading time: About 3 minutes Emily Agnew says that using a timer is an essential part of her writing habit. Read this interview to learn the other strategies she employs…. Emily Agnew is a life coach for creative, sensitive people who suffer from anxiety, overwhelm, and self-doubt. She provides customized one-on-one intensives to clients around the world, using a combination of Focusing, Inner Bonding and self-regulating breath practices. I was excited to talk to Emily about how she approaches writing. Q: Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? At least 30 minutes, and sometime ..read more

Credit: Wikimedia/Hpschaefer Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of simlies from Anne Enright…. Anne Enright is an Irish writer and the first Laureate for Irish Fiction (2015–2018). She has published seven novels, many short stories, and a non-fiction book about the birth of her two children. She is also winner of the Man Booker Prize (2007), for her novel The Gathering. Her most recent work, The Wren, the Wren, tells the story of three generations of women who had the bad luck to be rel ..read more

Reading time: about 2 minutes What interferes with writing for Ann Gomez is her OTHER work! Read this interview to learn how Ann copes with this conundrum…. Ann Gomez is the founder and president Clear Concept Inc., a training organization for productivity, collaboration, mindset and wellbeing. Ann was also the productivity columnist for this blog from September 2023 to June 2024. Her latest book is Workday Warrior. I was excited to talk to Ann Gomez about how she approaches writing.  Q: Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? It ranges from 5 minutes to two hours (average ..read more

Credit: UNSPLASH Reading time: About 2 minutes Sure, we all want to be winners, but do you understand why losing is never really losing? By Ann Gomez Whether or not you’re a basketball fan, it’s worth paying close attention to how Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks answered a question about failure after his team was eliminated from the NBA playoffs in 2023. Sports experts favoured Milwaukee to win against Miami in the first round of the playoffs, and they led by 16 points in the 4th quarter of Game 5 — but they lost in overtime. In the post-game news conference, reporters ask Antet ..read more

Credit: UNSPLASH Reading time: About 2 minutes If you want to make your writing easier, make sure to build some laughter into your day… By Ann Gomez Earlier this week, I was feeling stressed and distracted, so I took a walk to refocus. I found myself at a friend’s house and before I knew it, we had our feet in her pool, and we were laughing hysterically. Now, I can’t even remember what was so funny – but it doesn’t matter. Within a few minutes, I was feeling great again. We’ve all heard the colloquial advice laughter is the best medicine. But did you know there is scientific evidence to back ..read more

Reading time: About 3 minutes Looking for some recommended books in time for summer reading? Here’s my semi-annual roundup of books I’ve read this year.  I aim to read 52 books every 12 months, and my habit is to post a complete list of the names of them for you twice a year. Here is a description of the 18 books I’ve enjoyed so far this year. Yes, I’m a bit behind, but I’m confident my summer reading will take me to 52 books by December. (If you want to learn how to read more, see here or watch the video here.) I give you this list close to the North American summer solstice t ..read more

Credit: AUTHOR WEBSITE Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes from Dolly Alderton…. Dolly Alderton is a British-based writer and journalist with both British and Canadian roots. Alderton began writing for The Sunday Times as a dating columnist from 2015 to 2017. Then, in 2020, she began working as an agony aunt for The Sunday Times in her column Dear Dolly. She also co-created and co-hosted a weekly podcast called The High Low, which focused on pop culture and curren ..read more

Credit: UNSPLASH Reading time: About 2 minutes If you’re planning a vacation, strike the delicate balance between letting go of some routines and depending on others…. By Ann Gomez Where I live, summer is on the horizon and many of us are now thinking about vacation plans. And as much as I welcome the reprieve of a more relaxed calendar with fewer commitments, I find this is when my schedules —at work and home — can go a bit off the rails. At times like this, it becomes even more important to lean into our routines. There are many benefits to building and keeping a routine. Our routines keep ..read more