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Upon reading through many of my older essays, I often pause and ponder over the myriad questions it might raise for the reader. Sometimes, I’m not entirely sure what question I was trying to answer to begin with, leaving myself with more questions than answers. So, when I go to rewrite older content and freshen…
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At times, I get this nagging thought which puts a damper on me writing anything new. I find myself pondering the question: haven’t I written enough? Whenever I find my creative process stalling, I find myself also asking, “Don’t I already have enough content that I could just reimagine, rehash, and regurgitate forever?” Have you…
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The hardest part of writing is knowing what not to write. Writing is often as much about what you leave out as what you include. It’s much like sculpting; as a sculptor removes pieces of marble to reveal the form within, a writer discards words to uncover the true essence of their message. When you…
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As someone who has written on thousands of subjects in many different niches over the years, I’ve amassed quite a writing archive. It occurred to me recently that I wasn’t sure what was worthy of carrying forward into my present. Tending to be one to go down rabbit holes on a whim, I started digging…
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I was taught to believe that by being an active reader, you can become a far better writer. While that is certainly true, it’s only one major component to becoming a “formidable writing professional.” Of course, the most important part to being a good writer is simply pursuing the act of writing as often as…
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It’s no surprise that it’s far easier to discover bad writing than it is to find good writing. Many pieces out in the world are “good” and “bad” objectively speaking. But, when we search for “good writing,” we’re looking for stand-out writing, something perhaps even exceptional. In my Writing 102 course in my freshman year…
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Have you ever found yourself thinking: I should go back and edit some of my old stuff! While I’ve often encountered some resistance to this idea, it’s actually a good idea, and something I do often. In fact, sometimes revisiting old posts and rewriting them can be good for a great many reasons. If the…
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For me, prewriting has always been a bit of an ironic term. After all, this preparation involves writing things down. I’ve rarely ever done it in the traditional sense, as I prefer to simply write a first draft. But despite its confusing etymology, the process is helpful for some writers. So, how and when is…
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Over the decades, I’ve weathered entire weeks when my usually reliable companion, the art of writing, will slip away from me. There are entire months when I’ll be suffocated by the weight of writer’s block. My creative spark will seem snuffed out like a candle in the wind. So, as someone who often writes about…
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There have been several times in my life in which I didn’t write much of anything for weeks or even months at a time. Life can come and sweep you away to more urgent things. But, for a writer, having to write is urgent even if you don’t really have time. Recently, I was thinking…