This visual account of brain activity associated with reading and writing is quite worthwhile and revealing. Poets, novelists, essayists: pay particular attention to the part about cliches. Studies show that cliches do little to activate readers’ or listeners’ brains, while fresh and imaginative new ways of writing stimulate them in important ways. So make it new! Oh, that’s an old cliche now, isn’t it? My brain hurts. Thanks to Andrew for sending this in. I might put this up on my wall.