from Faith and Theology blog...
Rowan Williams, discussing the process of writing:
"Something which will be familiar to anybody who has ever tried to do serious writing ... is the sense in which you only discover what you have to say in the doing of it. Saunders Lewis, the Welsh poet, used to quote somebody saying – a child saying – 'How do I know what I think until I see what I say?' and I have always resonated rather with that. And that means that for me in writing even a straight forward prose essay or a short book or a lecture, there is that awkward moment when ... the engine is turning over a bit and you are wondering exactly at what point you are going to discover what the argument is. That's a warning really about the first four pages of everything I have ever written!
"Writing isn't translating something in here onto the page. Writing is an act. If it were just transference, no doubt you could plug in the electrodes and something would neatly type up what was going on inside your head.... Writing is an act, it is an action of self-discovery and an action of trying to put something into being."
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query writing. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query writing. Sort by date Show all posts
29 August 2010
08 August 2015
Improving Student Writing - from edutopia
3 Strategies to Improve Student Writing Instantly
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | UPDATED: OCTOBER 27, 2014
Editor's Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach.
"But Miss Parrish, I can't think of anything to write!"
Haven't we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? We see hesitant writers sit with a pencil in their hands and a paper on their desks, almost as if they have been handicapped by the task we asked them to do.
How is it that some students have so much to say when talking out loud, but when a pencil is put into their hand they suddenly hesitate, struggle and have nothing to say? How can you help those hesitant writers eliminate the "handicap" or barrier that suddenly appears when asked to write?
The answer is to simply have them produce "writing" without technically "writing" at all. That's right, the way to get hesitant writers to produce as much "writing" as they do "talking" is to have them do exactly that -- talk.
Strategies That Work
1. Student Talks, Teacher Writes
2. Audio Record It
3. Audio Transcribe It
25 March 2015
Writing your way to happiness!
Writing your way to happiness!
In The New York Times
In The New York Times
The scientific research on the benefits of so-called expressive writing is surprisingly vast. Studies have shown that writing about oneself and personal experiences can improve mood disorders, help reduce symptoms among cancer patients, improve a person’s health after a heart attack, reduce doctor visits and even boost memory.
Now researchers are studying whether the power of writing — and then rewriting — your personal story can lead to behavioral changes and improve happiness.
Read the rest HERE
22 March 2020
Ryan Holiday's Recommended Reading Email ~ 22 March 2020
Ryan Holiday's Recommended Reading Email ~ 22 March 2020
Wow, a lot has happened in the six weeks since I sent this last email. Our busy, normal lives have been suddenly and irrevocably changed by a global pandemic. More directly, most of us are now trapped inside. What should we be doing in a time like this? Certainly, there are worse things than reading. We should be reading history that teaches us, we should be reading fiction that distracts us, we should be reading books that will give us skills and habits to help us recover. We should probably not read Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which I had, coincidentally, planned to re-read this month before it became dreadfully too close to real life.
Before I get into this month's recommendations, I have two things to bring your attention to:
1) This piece I wrote about leadership during the plague in ancient Rome. When things get bad, good people have to stand up. That means all of us. The best way to reduce anxiety in times like this is to start thinking about what you can do for other people.
2) My book The Obstacle is The Way is $1.99 on Amazon in the US and £1.89 in the UK. Now is a time of real adversity and I think the message of the book is more relevant than ever: We need to steady our nerves. Focus on the good we can create out of this situation. Embrace the obstacle life has thrown at us. And most of all, learn from what happened.
Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Absolutely incredible book. I think I marked up nearly every page. The book is a study of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR and Lyndon Johnson, and it is so clearly the culmination of a lifetime of research… and yet somehow not overwhelming or boring. Distillation at its best! I have read extensively on each of those figures and I got a ton out of it. Even stuff I already knew, I benefited from Goodwin's perspective. This is the perfect book to read right now.
Hillel: If Not Now, When? by Joesph Telushkin
I've been wanting to read a biography of Hillel for some time as he is the source of three of my favorite quotes. He famously said that the Torah could be summarized as "Love thy neighbor as thyself, all the rest is commentary." He said, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" And he was a formulator of the "Golden Rule," saying, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." I thought this book was well done, considering the sparseness of the source material, and I took many, many notes on it.
Two Americans: Truman, Eisenhower and a Dangerous World by William Lee Miller
Last month I read David McCullough's epic biography of Truman and found myself fascinated with the man. This biography is shorter but equally interesting because it tracks Truman and Eisenhower's parallel lives from obscure Midwest origins to the heights of power and influence. It shows the greatness of both men and the flaws of both men, and is written with Miller's brilliant eye for applicable lessons. His two other books, Lincoln's Virtues and President Lincoln, are all time-favorites, and I highly recommend everything he has written, including this book.
Most books about writing are not good and most of the people who try to teach writing have had little success with which to back up their theories. Palahniuk is one of the best novelists of our time and this book is quite good. I wish I had read it when I was writing Perennial Seller, as I would have used many of the stories. I am a fan of his novels Fight Club (very good) and Choke (also good). Thanks to James Altucher for the recommendation!
Last month I recommended another book from this series, How to Be A Leader by Plutarch (which again, I cannot praise highly enough). This book is essentially the opposite. It's a look at some of the worst emperors from history and how they failed. I am a big believer in learning from cautionary tales, and while of course many of the stories from ancient Rome are extreme, there is plenty to take note of here.
Misc
I also read Travels with Epicurus by Daniel Klein and How to Be an Epicurean: The Ancient Art of Living Well by Catherine Wilson. I liked the former better than the latter, but both were good. For my son, I bought the complete eight-volume set of Great Men and Famous Women by Charles F. Horne, and we are slowly going through these miniature (inspiring) biographies of leaders from history. My dear friend Hristo gave me a copy of Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Croke, which I enjoyed as it combines two of my favorite topics (history and weird stories about humans and animals).
This month's email is sponsored by ButcherBox (which is timely if you're stuck at home, and running low on supplies). Their next shipment mails out 4/13 so if you want high quality, grass fed and antibiotic free meat without having to brave a trip to the store, you should order today. We are big fans of ButcherBox at my house—strongly recommend becoming a customer.
Also Magic Spoon Cereal. I am addicted to this stuff. It's basically the cereal you loved as a kid… but with none of the bad stuff. They ship directly, and I've heard nothing by rave reviews from the people I have told about it. Another good way to stock up without leaving the house. If you use the code RYANHOLIDAY, shipping is free.
Also, if you're looking to be a better reader—and now is a great time to invest in your reading habit—check out my Read to Lead Challenge. It will give you a new way of tackling the books I recommend here, along with enough book suggestions to last you through however long this quarantine lasts. We're discounting it right now for anyone who signs up in the next 48 hours. Just use code STAYHOME.
With that, I hope that you'll get around to reading whichever of these books catch your eye and that you'll learn as much as I did. Whether you buy them on Amazon today, or at an independent bookstore six months from now makes no difference to me. I just hope you read!
You're welcome to email me questions or raise issues for discussion. Better yet, if you know of a good book on a related topic, please pass it along. And as always, if one of these books comes to mean something to you, recommend it to someone else.
I promised myself a long time ago that if I saw a book that interested me I'd never let time or money or anything else prevent me from having it. This means that I treat reading with a certain amount of respect. All I ask, if you decide to email me back, is that you're not just thinking aloud.
Enjoy these books, treat your education like the job that it is, and let me know if you ever need anything.
All the best,
Ryan
If this email was forwarded to you and you'd like to sign up, just click here or email me at ryan.holiday@gmail.com with "Reading Newsletter" in the subject line.
29 January 2008
Blogs I read daily - Anglican Communion - The Episcopal Church
Anglican/Episcopal blogs I read every day:
I received an email today from a friend who asked what blogs I recommend related to the Anglican Church and The Episcopal Church...well, here are some of the blogs that I read daily. I've probably forgotten some that I actually do read daily (or nearly daily), and I probably am leaving out some important ones. Please let me know what your favorites are...!
The Episcopal Cafe
http://www.episcopalcafe.com
The Diocese of Washington sponsors this blog that does a pretty good job of covering the actions and intrigues of the Anglican and the Episcopal Church. There are a variety of editors, and some very good writers, as well as some folks who stay amazingly aware of the actions of our church.
Preludium
http://anglicanfuture.blogspot.com/
Preludium is written by Mark Harris, who is a priest in the Diocese of Delaware and a member of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church. He is an incredible reader and observer of the goings-on in our church, and I have learned a great deal from his observations. I read everything he writes.
A Guy in the Pew
http://aguyinthepew.blogspot.com/
Chuck Blanchard at A Guy in the Pew is one of the editors for The Episcopal Cafe, but he also has his own blog in which he comments quite often on the goings-on of The Episcopal Church. He is extremely thoughtful, and is amazing in his ability to digest other articles and offer his thoughts on them. For just "a guy in the pew" he is amazingly wise about all that is going on in our church!
Father Jake Stops the World
http://frjakestopstheworld.blogspot.com/
Father Jake is the pseudonym of an Episcopal priest who serves on the East Coast of the United States. He is decidedly "liberal" in his outlook, and can be polemical about those on the "right" on many issues in the church. Lately, I have been reading him daily. He is often (somehow) the first person to "break" stories on the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church. He can be polemical and biting in his observations and I love him for it - even if I don't agree with him hook, line, and sinker.
Covenant
http://covenant-communion.com/
"Covenant" is another very thoughtful blog, that is written (I believe) by a small group of writers, and I find their level of theological knowledge and understanding to be very valuable in understanding our present situation. The perspective is hard to pidgeon-hole, but they seem to occupy somewhere in the moderate-to-conservative area. I find the comments and the coverage on "Covenant" to be just excellent.
In a Godward direction
http://jintoku.blogspot.com/
In a Godward direction is written by Tobias Haller, who is an extremely intelligent and keen observer of the actions and stances taken by the Anglican Communion and by people in (and trying to leave) The Episcopal Church. He writes extremely well, and tackles some difficult subjects. I find his thoughts helpful to my understanding, and his awareness of the "news" as well as the "Good News" is impressive.
The Anglican Centrist
http://anglicancentrist.blogspot.com/
The difficulty of occuping the "center" in any discussion or debate is extremely hard, but Father Jones at the Anglican Centrist does an amazing job of walking that "via media." I was alerted to his work by a friend of mine (DK), and I find Fr. Jones to be very helpful to me as I work to challenge my own assumptions. His blog is well-written and helpful and important for an understanding of the goings on of our kooky (and wonderful) church, and his knowledge of theology is excellent.
Inch at a Time
http://inchatatime.blogspot.com/
This blog is written by the president of Integrity, Susan Russell. She is a priest in the Diocese of Los Angeles and is a good and pithy writer, and interesting commenter on all things Episcopal. I don't agree with all her perspectives (I am leaning toward Obama over Clinton, for instance), but I appreciate her writing and observations.
Titus One Nine
http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/
Titus One Nine is not a blog that I always agree with, and more often or not my blood pressure rises after reading Kendall Harmon's observations. However, he is a very good writer and is courageous in his willingness to (from his own perspective) "call a spade a spade." Of late, I have appreciated his writing and am glad that he is out there writing. He certainly gets me thinking!
The Episcopal Majority
http://episcopalmajority.blogspot.com/
The Episcopal Majority writes from a decidedly moderate to liberal (or just liberal) perspective on The Episcopal Church. There are a variety of commenters, and there have been some real gems in the last few months. They don't post every day, or even every week, but when they do post, it usually is pretty good.
Episcopalooza
http://4mrwrdn.blogspot.com/
Episcopalooza is mostly a "news blog" as the writer(s) tend to post a lot of articles and videos and pictures and such related to The Episcopal Church. I check out what they post each day, and it is often a good read.
Stand Firm
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/index/
Stand Firm tends to drive me wacko with much of what is written and commented upon, but in the spirit of fair treatment, I strive to read what is posted each day and try to take it in with an open mind. Behind some of the vitriol there is a lot of hurt on the part of many people in our church and I keep us all in my prayers. I recognize that there are extremely faithful people writing at Stand Firm and though I disagree with them about issues more than I agree, I do consider them brothers and sisters in Christ.
Irenic Thoughts
http://kingofpeace.blogspot.com/
Frank Logue is the rector of King of Peace Episcopal Church and posts on a wide variety of topics - not solely the "large" Episcopal Church stuff. He is clearly dedicated to his people, and to his particular calling as a parish priest. I enjoy reading and viewing all the wonderful things that go on at his church, and I enjoy reading his theological and biblical reflections as well. In addition, he was a member of the VTS (Virginia Theological Seminary) "Fightin' Friars" flag football team back when he was at seminary (I, too was a member of the team, but several years after Frank was.)
Andrew Plus
http://andrewplus.blogspot.com/
Andrew Plus is written by an Episcopal Priest who is another good commenter on the goings-on of our church. In addition, he has a great list of Anglican Blog links on his site as well, which is well-worth checking out.
Ember Days
http://emberdays.blogspot.com/
I think I first found Ember Days when I was trying to figure out when I needed to write my "Ember Day Letter" to my bishop (people in the ordination process are asked to write their bishops four times a year, on the traditional "ember days'). The writer of Ember Days blog is a professor of ethics and theology and is also a postulant for holy orders in the church. He is bright, articulate, and connects his deep understanding of theology with the everyday events in our church.
Episcope
http://episcopalchurch.typepad.com/episcope/
Episcope is the quasi-official blog of the national Episcopal Church. They mostly post news releases from The Episcopal Church, and coverage of Episcopal churches from around the country. What I really like about this blog is that they have a list of blog links that are categorized as "eyes left" (liberal), "eyes center" (moderate), and "eyes right" (conservative). Good stuff linked here!
Ruth Gledhill at the London Times
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/
Ruth Gledhill is the religion reporter at the London Times, and she does a really good job of covering the Anglican Communion, and also a pretty good job of covering The Episcopal Church.
Cartoon Church
http://www.cartoonchurch.com/blog/
Cartoon Church is a really funny and good blog written by Dave Walker who offers, funny, wise and challenging cartoons about church. He has some great ones that are really well-worth checking out - and for Dave, a picture is often worth several thousand words!
~~~~~~
addendum....
Now, to prove that I am fallible and human, I clearly left out a few of the blogs that I do read often...as a quite "new priest" perhaps I was afraid, somewhere subconsciously, to include the following blog because I feel myself going mad at times in the midst of this vocation.
Of course, I could be wrong
http://revjph.blogspot.com/
A priest with more courage, and far more self-knowledge about his own 'madness' than myself calls himself the "MadPriest" and he offers a terrific blog, that he so wonderfully named "Of Course I Could Be Wrong," (talk about epistemic humility!) which is a wonderful way to offer his quite challenging and polemical and funny and strange, and, well...quite mad observations on all things Anglican.
In addition, a commenter let me know about the Kew Continuum, which I have added to my "read list" ... also, the same commenter said that there are far too many clergy-types on this list, and I agree - - I can't believe I am already falling into the trap (having been a priest for just over a month!) of not listening to the laity enough. I am on the lookout for "the best Anglican blogs written by the laity"...more later on that!
22 December 2013
To everything there is a season
To everything there is a season ...
I have decided to take some Sabbathtime away from SantosWoodcarvingPopsicles. What started nearly 7 years ago as a place where I would write, reflect, and share about my thoughts and observations has gone through a few changes in focus. From my years at St. Catherine's School to my years at Emmanuel Church, Greenwood, and now at St. Paul's Memorial I have found that I am writing less and less in this place, and am posting and reposting more and more of other people's writing and postings. After these 6+ years I am considering beginning something anew, but have decided to take a bit of time away, and to do this intentionally, rather than let it flicker and wane. I have enjoyed having this as a place to share my thoughts and as a place where I could share writing that didn't fit into sermons, newsletter articles or published essays. For now, however, I will step back from SantosWoodcarvingPopsicles, beginning on December 24th I will close down the blog. Perhaps it will arise in some new form, we shall see.
Blessings to all who have followed the blog from time to time over the last 6+ years.
With Love and Prayers,
Peter+
I have decided to take some Sabbathtime away from SantosWoodcarvingPopsicles. What started nearly 7 years ago as a place where I would write, reflect, and share about my thoughts and observations has gone through a few changes in focus. From my years at St. Catherine's School to my years at Emmanuel Church, Greenwood, and now at St. Paul's Memorial I have found that I am writing less and less in this place, and am posting and reposting more and more of other people's writing and postings. After these 6+ years I am considering beginning something anew, but have decided to take a bit of time away, and to do this intentionally, rather than let it flicker and wane. I have enjoyed having this as a place to share my thoughts and as a place where I could share writing that didn't fit into sermons, newsletter articles or published essays. For now, however, I will step back from SantosWoodcarvingPopsicles, beginning on December 24th I will close down the blog. Perhaps it will arise in some new form, we shall see.
Blessings to all who have followed the blog from time to time over the last 6+ years.
With Love and Prayers,
Peter+
26 May 2020
BecomingMinimalist
12 Ways My Life Has Changed After 12 Years of Minimalism
Memorial Day is a holiday in the United States where we pause to remember those who died in active military service. May nothing I write in this article overshadow that fact…
On a purely personal level, readers of this blog will know that Memorial Day weekend signifies something completely different in my life and my family’s life.
It was on Memorial Day weekend, 12 years ago, that I was first introduced to the concept of minimalism and my life changed forever. You can read my story here or watch it here.
In the last 12 years, my life has changed dramatically because of minimalism. As I sit down to reflect, here are some of the most significant changes that have taken place.
12 Ways My Life Has Changed After 12 Years of Minimalism:
1. I own less.
I have never counted my things—never wanted to actually. But when we first made the decision to become minimalist, we easily got rid of 60-70% of our things.
A lot has changed since then. We’re in a different season of life. Most significantly, my kids are now 17 and 14 (rather than 5 and 2) and with their growing bodies and growing independence, different possessions have come and gone over the years. So I would never try to guess on a % at this point.
But we still own much less than when we started this journey—and I can’t even begin to imagine how much stuff we would own if we hadn’t been pursuing minimalism these last 12 years.
2. I live in a smaller home.
We moved 9 years ago from Vermont (where my minimalism story began) to Phoenix, AZ. When we did, we bought a smaller home than we lived in before. We knew the neighborhood where wanted to live and waited for the smallest model of home to become available.
We bought a smaller home for numerous reasons and have never regretted that decision—even as our children have grown.
3. I have more money in savings.
I suppose, as you grow older, it would be expected that you would have more money saved and more money in your retirement accounts. But that is clearly not the case for every American. For us, however, it is.
While my income has increased from 12 years ago (as would be expected), my expenses have significantly decreased (see Point 1 and 2 above). Because of that, we’ve been able to save more than if our expenses had remained the same.
4. I am more generous.
Somewhere along this journey, someone thought our story should be put into a book. So 5 years ago, we signed a book contract to write two books (The More of Less & The Minimalist Home).
Because this blog was covering our modest financial needs, we used the book money to start The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans that is currently working in 5 cities around the world to make a difference for orphaned children.
Earlier this year, we exceeded $1M raised to help orphaned children find families. This is something that would never have happened had it not been for minimalism 12 years ago.
5. I have better habits in my life.
Minimalism in my possessions resulted in countless other lifestyle changes in my life. When I became intentional with my belongings, I also became intentional with other daily practices: how I spend my time, how I care for my body, and how I seek to make the most of my life.
Would some of these habits of eating healthier, exercising more, and writing more have happened anyway in my life? Possibly, I suppose. But minimalism certainly brought them about sooner.
6. I don’t try to impress people with the things that I own.
12 years ago, I had three bookcases full of books in my office, even though I read less than half of them.
I remember one afternoon after finding minimalism looking at the shelves and realizing, “I keep these books only because they look impressive. I’m literally using unread books to impress people when they come in my office.”
It was a lightbulb moment for me.
I also realized, as I looked around my office, I had hung my diplomas on the wall behind me for that exact same reason. Now, I realize there are other people who have those items in their office for reasons other than the ones I recognized in myself.
But it was a significant changing point in my life when I recognized how I was trying to use stuff to impress others… rather than trying to impress people with the life that I lived.
I no longer try to impress people with the things that I own—whether it be books, clothes, cars, houses, or technology. There are much better, and more fulfilling ways to make an impression on peoples’ lives.
7. I have more time.
Excess possessions are a burden on our lives and schedules. They require cleaning and maintenance and organizing and repairing and replacing.
And that doesn’t even begin to mention all the time we spend working, just to make the money, to spend the time shopping, to buy the things that we bring home to clean and organize and manage and maintain and ultimately replace.
Owning fewer possessions has freed up my life for more important uses of my time. And removing the pursuit of accumulating possessions has freed up even more time.
8. I see the entire world differently.
I see culture differently. I see society differently. I see advertisements differently. I see marketing differently. I see shopping differently. I see money differently. I see work differently. I see people differently.
The way I see the entire world has changed dramatically since beginning to live a minimalist lifestyle. And that is no exaggeration. The way you see the world will change as well.
9. I have a new career.
12 years ago, I was a pastor and loving every minute of it. I had not chosen the job to get rich, I had chosen the career to make a difference in peoples’ lives.
As this blog grew and the time demands continued to increase, I was faced with a choice: choose one or the other. So seven years ago, I changed my job and the good I try to bring into this world.
BecomingMinimalist.com has been my full-time career for the last seven years. And I have no intention of quitting anytime soon. I love what I do.
10. I have seen much growth in the minimalist movement over the last 12 years.
When I started Becoming Minimalist 12 years ago, I don’t know of any other blogs or websites dedicated solely to minimalism. There were people writing about minimalism (Leo Babauta comes to mind), but nobody writing about it solely.
But over the last 12 years, things have changed dramatically. There are now countless blogs dedicated to minimalism. There are also countless YouTube channels, books, and social media accounts. You can even find a documentary on Netflix.
I am grateful that the movement continues to grow and stand proud with all the other writers and creators who have helped proclaim the message of living more by owning less.
11. My faith has grown.
My faith has always been important to me. As I explain in The More of Less, my spirituality has greatly influenced my understanding and practice of minimalism. But equally so, minimalism has influenced and grown my personal faith.
I have learned lessons about the intersection of faith and myself, the world, money, and possessions that I could not have learned through any path other than minimalism.
12. I love helping others own less.
Minimalism, at first, was just a personal journey. In fact, this blog, that now reaches 1-2M readers every month was started as just a personal diary. I wrote about cleaning out my office and closet, and the time I threw out my wife’s Jell-O molds.
But along the way, my focus changed. Rather than writing about my own journey, I began using this space and my experience to help others own less and live more.
Over the last 12 years, I’ve written four books, engaged with social media, started a magazine, created an app, and launched a YouTube channel. Always with one goal in mind: help others discover and embrace minimalism.
I love the work that I do. And none of it would have happened without discovering minimalism, 12 years ago today.
Thank you so much for being a part of it.
---
20 October 2015
15 Awesome Google Doc Features!
I'm a huge fan of Google Docs....! These are 15 features you may not have known about (I've used most of them)
From blog.hubspot.com
____________________________________________________________________________
October 20, 2015 // 8:00 AM
A few years ago, as I was scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook News Feed, I came across an article that would change the way I ate ketchup forever.
It was a super short article by FoodBeast that showed how most people have been using those small paper ketchup cups completely wrong their whole lives. Turns out you're not supposed to use the cups as is, but rather, you're supposed to fan out the sides of the cup to increase capacity, like this. (You think you know a ketchup cup, man.)
As a marketer, this got me thinking about what other tools we might be underutilizing. Sure, you may have been using Google Docs for years and years, but it's likely that there are useful features that you have yet to uncover. For example, did you know you can look at a document'sentire revision history to figure out what was changed and when?
There are a lot of sweet features Google Docs has to offer that aren't on many people's radar. Let's uncover some of those features. Here are 15 of the most useful ones you'll wish you knew about all along.
15 Hidden Features of Google Docs
1) Templates
Why start from scratch when you could use a template? Whether you're using Google Docs to write your resume, draft a project proposal, craft a business letter, formalize meeting notes, or design a brochure, you can bet there's a template for that. In fact, there are templates for almost all your business needs. And for every category, you'll find multiple templates to choose from.
This feature isn't exactly hidden, but it's often overlooked. You'll find all these templates at the top of your Google Doc homepage. Click More at the top right to browse through all the options.
2) Navigation Sidebar
Writing a long document with a lot of subsections that readers may want to jump to? The handy"Table of Contents" add-on automatically creates a navigation sidebar. Simply click through the headers and subheaders in the sidebar to easily jump from place to place in your document. It can be a little slow if your document's really long, but it does the trick -- and it's still better than scrolling.
To find the add-on, click here or open your document and click Add-ons from the menu at the top of the page. Choose Get add-ons... and search for "Table of Contents."
3) Clear Formatting
If you've ever pasted text into a Google Doc from another location, you've probably encountered formatting issues. It can happen for a variety of other reasons, too. Instead of editing that text manually to fit into the correct formatting, you can simply highlight the offending text and go to Format > Clear Formatting right in the toolbar. Boom: It'll format the foreign text to fit with the rest of your document.
4) The Research Tool
The Research tool is a godsend for anyone writing something in Google Docs that requires online research. Why? It allows you to research and refer to information and images online without every having to leave the document. That means no more clicking back and forth endlessly between tabs.
You can open the Research tool on a computer in one of three ways:
- Open your document and open the Tools menu at the top of your screen, then clickResearch from the dropdown menu.
- Right-click on a specific word and select Research.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Cmd + Shift + I (Mac) or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I (PC).
Here's what it looks like when I right-click the phrase "Welsh corgi" in my document:
When I choose "Research 'Welsh Corgi,'" the Research tool appears on the right-hand side of my document. It looks like this:
When you first open the Research tool, it might show you topics related to what it thinks you're working on based on what you've written already. You can either research those suggested topics by clicking on them, or you can type in your own search terms in the search bar.
You can also choose what type of content you want the tool to spit back when you search a term. Use the dropdown menu next to the search bar to see the different types of information for that topic.
Here's what each type means, according to Google Support:
- Everything: Text and images related to your topic from any source.
- Images: Images related to your topic found on the web.
- Scholar: Educational information related to your topic that you can read, add to your file, or cite in a footnote.
- Quotes: Quotes related to your topic that you can add to your file.
- Dictionary: Definitions, synonyms, and antonyms related to your topic.
- Personal: Results from your personal documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and photos that you can open, cite, or link to from your file.
- Tables: Data presented in tables related to your topic that you can open, cite, or export.
Right now, the Research tool is only available on computers and Android mobile devices. (Learn how to use the tool on Android devices here.)
5) Suggesting Mode
While the capability to edit and make changes in a document is great, there are times when you only want to suggest changes -- without actually making any. That's where "Suggesting" mode in Google Docs comes in handy.
It works a lot like Comments in Microsoft Word. First, switch from "Editing" mode to "Suggesting" mode by clicking the pencil icon at the top right of an open document, and then choosing "Suggesting."
From there, anything you add, delete, or otherwise change will show up as colored marks in the document, accompanied by details on the righthand side such as the name of the suggestor and a timestamp.
Image Credit: Google Support
6) Comments
If you want to ask questions about, make notes in, or highlight changes you've made in a Google Doc you're working on, you can leave comments directly in the document. The comments can act as a conversation thread, as people can reply to them and carry on a conversation. You can close the comment thread when it's done. You can also edit or delete your comments at any time, or others' comments if you own the document.
To add a comment, highlight the text or image you'd like to comment on. Then, choose Insert from the menu at the top of your screen, and choose Comment from the dropdown menu.
From there, a blank comment will appear on the right-hand side of your screen.
Tag People in Comments
Want to comment on a document and get a specific person's attention? You can do that by tagging them in your comment. All you have to do is add an @ or a + sign, and then begin typing their name or email address. Google Docs will give you a couple options based on your Gmail contacts, and once you've submitted the comment, it'll notify that person you mentioned by sending them an email.
If that person doesn't already have access to the document, you'll be asked to choose permission levels for them.
7) Footnotes
Footnotes are quick and easy things to add to your Google Docs, but not many people know about them. To add a footnote, put the cursor in the part of the document you want the footnote to appear, and go to Insert > Footnote. From there, simply type in to your footnote whatever you'd like, and click onto the document to save it.
8) Revision History
Speaking of revising content ... have you ever wanted to see all of the changes you (or someone else) made in a Google Doc? Better yet, have you ever wanted to go back in time and revert to an earlier version of your document? Thanks to the Revision History feature, you can. And it's awesome.
All you have to do is open the document and go to File > View Revision History. A panel will appear on the right-hand side of your screen showing an overview of who made changes and when. For a more in-depth view of the changes that were made, click the detailed revisions button below the overview list.
9) Voice Typing
Have Google Chrome as your browser? Have a working microphone either built in to your device or connected externally? Then you can "type" in a Google Doc using just your voice. To indicate a punctuation mark, simply say the name of it out loud, like "period," "comma," "exclamation point," or "question mark." To begin a new line or a new paragraph, say "new line" or "new paragraph" out loud.
To get to voice typing, open a document and click Tools from the menu at the top of the page. Choose Voice typing... from the dropdown menu. When you're ready to speak your text, click the microphone or press Cmd + Shift + S (on a Mac) or Ctrl + Shift + S (on a PC) to begin recording.
Want to voice type in Google Docs on your phone? Voice typing only works for computers, but many iOS and Android mobile devices have built-in microphones you can use with a document.
10) Keyboard Shortcuts
There's something so satisfying about knowing the keyboard shortcuts for whatever application you're using, and Google Docs has a ton of them to choose from. A lot of them are the same as in other applications, such as Cmd + C (Mac) or Ctrl + C (PC) to paste, or Cmd + B (Mac) or Ctrl + B (PC) to bold something. But it has a few unique ones, too. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Shift + T = Create a new document.
- Ctrl + Alt + M = Insert a comment.
- Alt + I (in Google Chrome) or Alt + Shift + I (in other browsers) = Open the "Insert" menu.
- Hold Ctrl + Alt, press N then H = Move to the next heading.
To display the list of commonly used shortcuts while you're working in a document, press Cmd + / on a Mac, and Shift + / or Ctrl + / on Chrome OS or Windows. You can also just click the gear icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen and choose "Keyboard Shortcuts" from the dropdown menu.
11) Create Your Own Shortcuts
Google Docs may have a lot of shortcuts available to us, but what if we want to make a few of our very own? To create custom shortcuts, go to Tools > Preferences > Automatic Substition. You might find there are a few in there already (like changing 1/2 to ½), but feel free to add in some of your own.
12) Conference Calls
Google Docs is a collaborative platform -- and the "UberConference" add-on makes it even more collaborative by letting you conduct an audio conference call right from the document. All you have to do is turn on the add-on and invite your friends or colleagues. When they accept, everyone will be able to view and edit the document while participating in a conference call.
To find the add-on, click here or open your document and click Add-ons from the menu at the top of the page. Choose Get add-ons... and search for "UberConference."
13) Image Editing
Once you've inserted an image into your document, you can still edit it within the document. Click the image in your document, and the toolbar at the top will change to all the tools you can use to edit your image. Crop it, mask it, add borders to it ... there are a lot of possibilities in there.
Below are two examples of great image editing tricks: cropping and adding a border. (And if you ever want to reset an image back to its original form, simply select the image and click the "Reset Image" icon in your toolbar.)
Cropping Tool
Select an image in your document and click the crop icon in your toolbar. From there, drag and drop the blue handles until you've cropped the image to your liking. To save it, click "Enter" on your keyboard or just click back into your document.
Borders
To add a black or colored border to any image, select the image and click the line color icon in your toolbar (which looks like a pencil). Select the color you want the border to be, and voilà ! To save it, simply click off of the image.
14) Dictionary
Ever written a word and wanted to double-check you're using it correctly? What about writing a word that you want to find a synonym for? Instead of opening up a new browser window, you can look up the definition for that word right inside your document -- as well as get synonym suggestions.
All you have to do is highlight the word, right-click on it, and choose Define. The Research tool will look up the word on the internet for you, and its definition will appear on the right-hand side of your screen.
15) Language Accent Buttons
Gone are the days of memorizing accent shortcuts (and getting them wrong), opening up international keyboards and clicking keys manually, and copy/pasting from other documents. If you ever find yourself writing in a language other than English, the "Easy Accents" add-oncould save you a lot of time. It lets you insert accents for 20 different languages directly from a sidebar in your document.
To find the add-on, click here or open your document and click Add-ons from the menu at the top of the page. Choose Get add-ons... and search for "Easy Accents."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)