Poynter. » Writing Chats

How to write the ‘perfect’ sentence

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:39:46 +0000

The best way to write a perfect sentence is to lower your standards.

I hope that advice doesn’t come across as some bait and switch, that there is no such thing as a perfect sentence. I do believe in the … Read more

How to include narrative elements in a hard news story

Mallary Jean Tenore — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:28:55 +0000

During this week’s writing chat, we talked with Boston Globe reporter Eric Moskowitz about his story that describes the experience of a young man who was carjacked by the Boston bombing suspects.

Poynter’s Roy Peter Clark praised Moskowitz earlier this … Read more

From ancient Greece to modern Boston, how stories help us survive

Roy Peter Clark — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:46:40 +0000

The events of recent days — from the bombing of the Boston marathon to the explosion of the fertilizer plant in Texas — should remind us of the power of stories. In a daily sense and over the course of … Read more

How to influence reader response to your work

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:01:59 +0000

All writers learn that it is not possible or desirable to control how a reader responds to story, or even a sentence. But you can influence reader response, and you should.

How your reader responds is a crucial consequence of … Read more

Tips for improving your writing on National Grammar Day

Roy Peter Clark — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:07:02 +0000

Today is National Grammar Day, a special holiday for someone — namely me — who has written a book titled “The Glamour of Grammar.”

That title still puzzles some people who think of grammar as a creaky old … Read more

How to solve your most difficult writing problems

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:56:37 +0000

Every writer faces problems. In the most recent I’ll help you figure out solutions.

Much of the advice I’ll give will derive from my book, “Help! For Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces,” which just … Read more

How and when to break the rules of writing

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:37:16 +0000

The recent passing of former New York mayor Ed Koch reminded me of one of my favorite feature leads of all time, written in 1980 by one of the AP’s all-time greats, Saul Pett:

“NEW YORK — He is the
… Read more

How to get feedback on your writing

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:02:02 +0000

In a recent essay, I described how Tom French and I wrote our books using what I called “the buddy system.” In response, one writer tweeted: “Wish I had a buddy.”

So where do you find a buddy? And … Read more

How to generate fresh ideas for holiday stories

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:59:50 +0000

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

What journalists need to know about storytelling on tablets

Mallary Jean Tenore — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:27:53 +0000

Poynter’s most recent Eyetrack study reveals some interesting findings about how readers consume news on tablet devices. During a live chat, Poynter’s Sara Quinn and Northwestern University’s Jeremy Gilbert talked about the findings and their implications for journalists.

Here are … Read more