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.
The image is startling and, by now, celebrated. A young New York City police officer kneels in the cold to help a man on the street put on a new pair of socks and shoes. Beyond the act of simple … Read more
Every journalist I know has faced the dreaded annual assignment: holidays, anniversaries, recurring events. These come down to writers not as sharp story ideas, but as topics: Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, the annual … Read more
I fear we have lost the word “rhetoric” in its good and original sense, defined by the “American Heritage Dictionary” as “the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.” That meaning still applies if you are studying Cicero … Read more
I made a mental list today of the institutions that have been stained by recent sexual scandals and came up with: the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America, Penn State University, the BBC, the CIA, Congress, the American Presidency … Read more
When I look back on the history of The New York Times, it rarely appears to be what some might call a “writer’s paper.” While there has always been great reporting and editing talent at the newspaper, one senses the … Read more
I will be the first to admit that when I heard the phrases “Zumba instructor” and “prostitution” and “Kennebunk, Maine” collide in the same news story, I sat up and took notice. I’m inclined to read any story with … Read more
I remember an ancient episode of the 1950s TV version of “Superman.” Not only did the Man of Steel save the day, but when he returned to the newsroom as Clark Kent, he typed his deadline story at super speed, … Read more
Imagine that you are reading a seriously flawed book. Its flaws have grown into a scandal, so you decide to read it to find out about all the hubbub. As you read, you come across this much-publicized problem, … Read more
For $9.99 plus shipping, I purchased a book by Chris Baker and Jacob Hansen titled “The Elements of F*cking Style.” This “helpful parody,” as it is described on the cover, has some useful writing tips, supported by potty-mouthed examples that … Read more
Writer John McPhee has said the lead is a “flashlight” that shines down into the darkness of the story, giving us a glimpse of what is yet to come.
In journalism, and in many other forms of writing, the first … Read more