In her groundbreaking guide to writing and creativity, Dorothea Brande argues that the logical left-brain is just as crucial to creation as the irrational right: “So, for a period, while it’s useful to you, think of yourself as two-persons-in-one. There will be a prosaic, everyday, practical person to bear the brunt of the day’s encounters. … Continue reading
“Clutter,” argued William Zinsser, “is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon…Our national tendency is to inflate and thereby sound important. The airline pilot who announces that he is presently anticipating experiencing considerable precipitation wouldn’t think of saying it may rain. The … Continue reading
The blank page. As a writer, I know that when I first confront the blank page the sheer possibilities of what I could write-the seemingly infinite number of ways in which I can combine all the glorious words of the English language-are, at times, overwhelming. Staring at my Macbook Air, I understand how Michelangelo felt … Continue reading
I’m a hoarder. I love writing and stowing my pages away only to forget about them and rediscover them later. “Leave a good amount of time between writing a piece and editing it,” advises Zadie Smith, stellar author of On Beauty and White Teeth. Julia Cameron and Brenda Ueland suggest a similar period of detachment: “Wait … Continue reading
The Blank-Faced Confidante 