Last night I met up with a friend of mine, Lynn, to catch up on the news in each others’ lives. We’ve been friends for a couple of years and don’t see each other often, but when we do it’s always a great evening of conversation. At some point, she used the word “ephemeral” and was thrilled to discover that I knew what the word meant and understood what she was saying. I was thrilled that she was thrilled and we had a momentary love fest in the name of literacy.

After I returned home I couldn’t get that brief exchange out of my head and realized it is a good lesson for writers, so here’s my quick tip for the day: Find and spend time with people who widen your curiosity and interests, exercise your lesser-used vocabulary, and encourage you to rise above the limitations you all too easily accept in yourself. It will make you a greater student of the world and a better writer. It also increases your confidence in your skills and talents, which lessens the chances of experiencing an ephemeral career.

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