On Words and Business

Cut This Story!

An argument that the format of newspaper stories is part of what is killing the industry. Interesting theory.

Check out this blog by writer and psychologist Susan K. Perry: Creating in Flow

The topics stem from her curiosity about how the best writers’ create.

Unlock your own creativity…

Freakonomics…you read the book (and enjoyed it, I hope). Now read the blog.

I can’t wait to read SuperFreakonomics, the new book by this amazing team.

The cover story in this week’s Publisher’s Weekly is about an interesting new way to publish books and still make money. Counterintuitively, it includes giving away a free e-book. It also includes some pretty creative ways to monetize the effort. But it isn’t all about the book.

Maybe it isn’t all about the book anywhere anymore. Maybe it never will be again.

Good luck to Cory Doctorow. I hope is experiment is wildly successful!

No matter who you are or what your job title says, this list from Copyblogger will help you become a better writer.

My favorites:

3. Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.

6. Outline. And then write to that outline.

61. Break out of your comfort zone.

What I want to work on:

24. Listen to how people talk.

58. Map out a writing schedule for your project and stick to it.

A great article by Richard Skaare on how to write like you talk, as a way to bring more life and authenticity to your writing.