As American editors sharpen their pencils, some advice on writing short
If two examples constitute a trend, then a movement is afoot among editors to encourage…
October 12, 2016
Roy Peter Clark
Writing coach Roy Peter Clark reflects on 4 decades at Poynter
Editor's note: After two years as a writing coach at the St. Petersburg Times and…
October 3, 2016
Want to become a better writer? Follow these 7 steps, and look for new tools every day
Somewhere in a deep corner of my files, there is a single piece of paper…
August 24, 2016
7 ways to write a “kick-ass” column, via Sally Jenkins
This morning on Twitter I awarded The Washington Post's Sally Jenkins a gold medal for…
August 19, 2016
What does that cliché mean, anyway? Build your language muscles by finding out
Not long ago, my wife and I test-drove a Kia Soul (she bought a Toyota…
July 28, 2016
The secret to being a better writer? Re-read your own work
I just wrote an essay for Signature that frames revision as an act, not just…
March 14, 2016
Beware of buzzwords and 9 other tips for cutting clichés
Over the next few months, Poynter will publish shortened versions of 21 chapters of the…
February 9, 2016
The Virginia shooting and the dark side of the social media age
I saw a clip of Matt Lauer today. He said that viewing the video of…
August 26, 2015
Tips to make you a better storyteller
One of the few regrets I have in my life is taking up golf without…
April 8, 2015
50 Shades of word play: Getting beyond first-level creativity
Every time there is a big, big story, the geniuses of Facebook and Twitter try…
February 9, 2015
Gategate: It’s a scandal that we revert so easily to the –gate suffix
Now we have Deflategate, the scandal involving the New England Patriots and the doctoring of…
January 23, 2015
The legacy of Nelson Mandela: Looking back on the new South Africa
Author's note: It is a testament to the legacy of a person like Nelson Mandela…
December 11, 2013