Roy has taught writing at every level--to school children and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors--for more than 30 years, and has spoken about the writer's craft on The Oprah Winfrey Show, NPR and Today; at conferences from Singapore to Brazil; and at news organizations from The New York Times to the Sowetan in South Africa. He is the author of "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer," the book and the blog.
One of the coolest experiences of my youth was to visit George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon along the Potomac River. In the tiny gift shop, I bought an image of Old George for a buck and kept it… Read more
Anthony Federico has written that he did not realize that “chink in the armor” could be an offensive term, and I believe him. Nothing in his personal history suggests what in the law is called “mens rea,” that… Read more
If I were running for president, I have a pretty good idea how I would present myself to the American people. Not as a Ph.D. in medieval literature. Not as the author or editor of more than 15 books on… Read more
On a public radio talk show recently, an expert discussed the “narrative” that had been developing around the candidacy of Mitt Romney during the Republican presidential primaries. The moral of this particular “narrative,” he said, was that Romney’s statements about… Read more
Anthony Shadid, dead at the age of 43, was our Ernie Pyle, a war correspondent who combined physical and moral courage with the eyes and ears of a great storyteller.
Pyle died at the age of 44 from machine… Read more
When I read a letter from my Catholic bishop, Robert Lynch, to the faithful, it made me angry. Although it was framed as an issue of Church and State, I took the letter as a direct attack on President Obama… Read more
You thought you learned them in grade school. You know, the parts of speech, those eight basic elements of making meaning. But here’s a little secret: Those seemingly demure parts of speech are, in practice, naughty cross-dressers.
In his book,… Read more
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to introduce Tom Brokaw to a group gathered at The Poynter Institute for a community conversation about politics and the news business. I have thought of him as one of the most… Read more
Let me begin by expressing my biases: Newt Gingrich would make a bad president. And I don’t want him anywhere near my three daughters, especially if his current wife takes ill.
That said, I am on his side in
Go to any bookstore these days and you find all the writing advice you could use in a lifetime. OK, sure, a lot of it is coming from me. I used to believe that, when it came to writing tips,… Read more