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Make Reading Your Constant Diet
“That box is probably too heavy for you.” She put a hand on my arm. “Let me get someone to help you lift it.” She motioned a teen boy over. “Mike, can you help Peter lift this box?” “Sure!” The teen boy bent down and picked up the box. “Where do you want it?” Oh goodness. What had been a trial for me to lift, the man-child hefted easily. “Over there.” My doctor had long been on my case to lift weights, and the incident was enough for me to hire a personal trainer to help me gain strength. I was excited and told the trainer I could spend two…
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In The Driver’s Seat
If you have driven in town lately, you can testify to the following AP article premise: Average IQs are plummeting worldwide. And here’s another worry—it’s not going to get better. Fourth grade reading proficiencies are at 33%, which means 7 out of 10 ten-year-olds have a hard time sounding out words, let alone understanding them. And the DMV still publishes their manuals in written form. Oh boy. There is hope, however, and it is you. You are the sacred keeper of the meaning of its and it’s. You know the Pantheon of their there they’re. Then there’s the deeper magic—you can show, not tell. Science tells us you’re about to…
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Your Writing Voice: Read To Write
“Peter, I haven’t read a single book about how to write.” The load of books I carried flew from my hands. Like missiles, they launched into the air. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I find that impossible to believe.” I was at a book signing, and next to my table was one of the world’s leading authors. I’d been setting up my table when she dropped the bomb. And now, as I looked past raining copies of my book, Gideon’s Call, I saw shame and embarrassment in the author’s eyes. How to fix this? Being a beginner in the author world, I couldn’t afford to offend. “Your books read as…
