Helping you become a better writer
When I look back at the past two months as the Writer in Residence at Toronto Public Library, with a focus on journalism, I can t help but Joker smile like a silly silly man. Meeting with writers and running weekly programming has been so incredibly fulfilling and nourishing, it feels surreal. Like, did I just meet with 30 writers to advise them on their careers? Did I run six seminars, workshops…
There’s a buffet of salient lessons writers can enjoy from the new biography of crime novelist Elmore Leonard. In this fantastic chronicle of his career in fiction and screenwriting, writers can learn about determination and gutsiness, finding your voice and shedding writer’s block, of sticking up for your own work amid a throng of naysayers and critics. In Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of…
Pound the rock. No risk it, no biscuit. If you follow the NFL, you ve heard these terms before. And if you follow the Tampa Bay Bucs (like I have, since 1998), then you know these terms come from two of the team s most formidable coaches, Jon Gruden and Bruce Arians. While I knew about these football strategies when I was watching the Bucs win their Super Bowls in 2003 and 2021, I got a refreshing…
What separates great work from good work? Deep focus. Whether you’re coding a new program or writing a profile for an alumni magazine or copy-editing a start-up’s new site, your attention has to laser in on what needs to be done, distractions be demned. That’s all well and good and Pollyana to believe but the reality is much more of an audio barrage. Pins from texts and blips from Slack messages…
When I first embarked on my solopreneur journey as a freelance journalist and content marketing specialist, I foolishly thought I wouldn t get lonely or uninspired. I thought, I m an introvert at heart, I like being alone, it s not a huge deal, and I can inspire myself by listening to podcasts and reading books about freelancing. But lo! I did indeed get lonely, and feelings of inadequacy soon…
When I was falling in love with writing as a 17-year-old and enrolled in a mentorship program at the Toronto Public Library, author M.T. Kelly told me, Dave, writing is reading, reading is writing. You have be as much a bookworm as you are a word nerd. Those words stayed with me for decades but I worry that too many other writers don t follow that same advice. I ve met dozens of writers who don t…
I ve been quietly working with several brands and non-profits over the past couple of years to ensure journalists and editors write about their new products, services or initiatives. I feel like it s time to not be so quiet about it. As you ll see on my website, I ve added a quick explainer on what I do as a PR consultant. I liaise with CEOs, marketing managers and PR agencies to help them write…
Being turned down is painful. It doesn t matter if rejection comes at the hands of a crush, employer or editor, the sting can be as sharp as a scorpion attack. But it s how you learn from failure that separates the despondent from the successful. As a freelance writer who emails more than 250 pitches a year, I recognize how overwhelming it can be to remain positive amid the No s and It s Not Right…
The hand-wringing is so prevalent I can practically hear the anxious breathing, the knuckles cracking, the flurry of keystrokes to fine-tune that dusty CV. Journalists are worried about AI encroaching on their livelihood, especially in the light of 2022 headlines about CNET employing AI systems to pen articles. Watch out, writers, AI is coming for you! these alarmists cry from the rooftops.…
It s about time I levelled up my website by alerting visitors to my latest journalistic and brand writing. That s why I worked with my web designer to launch my new PORTFOLIO page on this website, which included my work for news outlets such as BBC News, The Toronto Star and Fast Company, as well as for brands such as Zapier. This Blog section used to be a home for my writing but I want to keep my…