Pat Iyer’s Blog
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How to Set the Scene for a Comfortable Writing Environment
You don’t have to suffer when you write. Create a comfortable writing environment. Experienced writers, those who write every day, will tell you that you can’t do anything more important than to create a physical setting and a comfortable writing environment for the...
Time to Write a Book: How Do You Get It?
Many authors tell me they feel stuck when it comes to starting a book. That blank screen stymies them. Their desire to be an author and to get the benefits of being published is thwarted by the time to write a book. Writing a book can be an intimidating task. Blank...
How to Write a Compelling Blog
Your blog serves different purposes. You want to provide interesting content while highlighting your business and expertise. A compelling blog attracts readers to you and your business. Here are three methods for doing this. Quotations and Photos Combining a beautiful...
What is Vanity Publishing?
You’re planning to write or you’ve just written a book. When you tell a friend about your project, he asks you about agents and publishing houses. You respond that you’ve looked into self-publishing, and you think you’ll follow that route. He doesn’t sneer (at least,...
The Importance of Concise Writing
Talk about concise writing - it does not get any briefer. Today I saw an ad that popped up to the right of a YouTube video I was watching. It caught my eye because it was so concise. It read: New Need Now And the name of the product. In the world of writing, this is...
What Type of Editor Do You Need?
Some writers, those who have just begun the process, know that they need editors. They may be unsure of the type of editor they need. Others, who have a little more experience, may question that need. “I know how to spell and punctuate,” they say. “I have good grammar...
How to Consistently Blog
So you want to write a blog? What’s stopping you? Are you afraid you will not be able to consistently blog? Here are some of the answers I’ve heard. “It’s a big commitment.” “You have to do it every week—at least.” “How does anyone think of all those article...
What are the pros and cons of working with a ghostwriter?
Traditionally we write about pros and cons of any topic. I don't like ending on negative notes, so I am switching the order of pros and cons of working with a ghostwriter. First, let's start with the cons. A ghostwriter, by the way, is a person who works with you to...
Is a Cat a That? Correct Use of That
Is a cow an “it”? What is the correct use of that? In order to answer these questions, I need to address a related grammatical question about the use of that. Is a Human a “That”? In the course of editing manuscripts, I began to notice that people seemed to be...
Publishing a Book – What are the Options?
You have a wealth of knowledge that you want to share in a new way – through the publishing a book. You may have a body of work ready to repurpose (such as a blog you’ve maintained for several years) or a ghostwriter at the ready. Or you just really like to write; you...
Recent Posts
Make the Most of Your Writing Time
One of the most frequent complaints of my writing students and clients is “I don’t have enough time. How do …Read More »
Inner Critic or Inner Guide: Who is Talking
At any stage of my writing, I may hear an inner critic, a voice that says things like, “No, that …Read More »
What’s Your Type?
When I write about errors in manuscripts, I usually focus on punctuation, spelling, and grammar because those are my favorite …Read More »
Readers Make Better Writers
I always loved reading more than almost any other activity. It’s no coincidence that my siblings are also avid readers. …Read More »
Why Do You Need a Good Vocabulary?
Writers, especially those who are just beginning to write regularly, think that having a good vocabulary means knowing a lot …Read More »