There are important elements of writing that feel like skiving.
Writing tagged: ‘on writing’
Descent into violins
The best essayists use seemingly trivial, original examples to illustrate recurring themes of personal importance.
The slippery slope of minor embellishments
Artistic licence in factual writing doesn’t include making stuff up.
The gaping void between fact and fiction
Fact and fiction are discrete things, not parts of a continuum.
Newsletter No. 25: ‘Painting the Forth Bridge’
On the undefinitiveness (I made that word up) of factual writing. Plus some cool links and book recommendations.
Book review: ‘Writing to Learn’ by William Zinsser
The best way to find out if you understand something is to write about it.
Book review: ‘The Art of Creative Nonfiction’ by Lee Gutkind
Writing and selling the literature of reality.
No going back
How was I ever able to organise my thoughts without ‘atomising’ them—breaking them down into smaller and smaller discrete notes—and then linking them together?
New facts emerge
On the unavoidably provisional nature of essay collections.
An arc of sorts
On the emergence of unplanned themes.
When notes begin talking to each other
Out of nowhere, I suddenly found myself with an interesting new idea…
Book review: ‘Steal Like an Artist’ by Austin Kleon
10 things nobody told you about being creative.