Common Writer Advice Revised

We all get tips from well-meaning people who truly believe the wisdom they’re imparting. The most common writer advice I hear is this: You don’t need a detailed outline. Don’t revise mid-draft; just write. It’s okay if your first draft sucks. This advice works for a lot of people, but if this isn’t your process …
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Five Tips From The Oxford Inklings

I’ve known about The Oxford Inklings for most of my lifetime. However, I didn’t become interested in them again until quite recently. For those of you who don’t know the story, The Inklings were an informal literary society and critique group that started meeting in Oxford during the 1930s. However, they weren’t just any group, …
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Surviving the Biology of Negative Feedback

As a former teacher of biology and chemistry, I’m reasonably learned in the sciences and had been a teacher for several years when one day my Assistant Superintendent paid me a visit. “Wayne’s taking a leave next year and I’m assigning the AP Bio course to you,” he announced. “Sure,” I said, “be glad to…” …
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