DianaHale

Writing

Malcolm Gladwell’s Master Class

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Malcolm GladwellHave you seen the advertisements for the website masterclass.com? I loved the concept when I first noticed it.

Imagine learning acting from Samuel L. Jackson, tennis from Serena Williams, or cooking from Wolfgang Puck. When I saw that Malcolm Gladwell had a writing course on the site, I knew I wanted to take it.

You probably know that Malcolm Gladwell is the author of several bestselling books, including The Tipping Point, Blink, The Outliers, and David and Goliath. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. I have always been fascinated by his ability to think outside the box.

If you have any interest in writing nonfiction, Malcolm Gladwell’s master class is worth your time. I watched all 24 lessons in one day, while furiously typing notes. It was like sitting with him in his Manhattan apartment while he talked about his writing process and his experiences. My favorite lessons were the ones where he described his interviewing style and his story-telling techniques.

One thing I like about the masterclass.com website is the option to upload video questions for the instructor. I also liked the course outline that was provided for download.

Take a look at masterclass.com. I know you will find something you want to explore.

The Miracle Morning For Writers by Hal Elrod, Steve Scott, and Honoree Corder

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Miracle Morning For WritersHave you ever had a strong desire to write a book, but just can’t find the time in your busy schedule? Then this book is for you!

I have been a fan of the Miracle Morning for years. Most people say that they don’t have time for meditation, visualization, affirmations, journaling, reading, or exercise. The Miracle Morning makes a convincing case for getting up early to do them.

The Miracle Morning For Writers is about scheduling time every day for your writing, and making it as important as your job. It is also about organizing your ideas, creating great content, and building your writer’s platform.

The truth is that most successful writers started by writing part-time, while working another job or caring for a family. They had to make the time to write and market their books.

John Grisham comes to mind. Like me, he went to law school to become a tax lawyer, and practiced law for many years. One day he was at the courthouse, when he overheard a 12-year-old girl telling the jury her story. Members of the jury cried as she told them about having been raped and beaten. John started to think about what would have happened if the girl’s father had murdered her assailants. It took him three years to write his first book, A Time to Kill, in his free time.

If you are serious about your writing, The Miracle Morning for Writers is one book you will want to add to your library. I really love this book and highly recommend it!

You can learn more about The Miracle Morning for Writers here.

Blogging Improves Your Writing

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Blogging WritingWriting is communication. It is about recording your thoughts.

Good writing benefits you in many aspects of your life, whether you are writing a a presentation, a résumé, or simply a card for your best friend.

Like every other form of communication, writing improves with practice. Blogging is great practice!

The blogging process encourages you to pause and think. You will think more deeply about your worldview and the matters that shape your life.

Do you have something that you want to write about?

Blogging For Beginners

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BlogOne of the quickest ways to get started with blogging is to use one of the free blogging sites, such as WordPress.com, Blogger.com, or Typepad.com.

These sites allow you to set up your blog and to write your first blog post within five to ten minutes.

Seth Godin, best-selling author of 18 business and marketing books, has faithfully published a daily blog post on Typepad.com for at least a decade. The blog has a huge readership.

Free blogging sites give you the opportunity to find out if you like blogging before you invest in a domain name, hosting, and a WordPress theme. You don’t even have to put your name on your blog! It is a great way to experiment with posting your ideas.

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