Why you should learn the ‘classic style’ of public writing The language of guides, museum labels and anything informative — you wouldn’t think a writing style called ‘classic’ might be versatile, but it is. October 13, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
Want to be a better public writer? Celebrate the versatility of the question mark. From the question that sparks the advice column to the ones that clinch a cross-examination, the question is a writing tool that rules. September 24, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
My cousin was in the north tower on 9/11. Here’s how, together, we told her story. 9 lessons learned from writing an eyewitness story of Sept. 11 September 9, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
Who is the best public writer in America on the pandemic? Maybe an Iowa doctor should get the prize. August 24, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
How to write with honesty in the plain style It’s a middle ground between an ornate high style and a low style that gravitates toward slang. Write in it when you want your audience to comprehend. July 27, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
What makes a story good? Lessons for all public writers The question becomes increasingly important in an age of pandemic, social unrest, economic decline, insurrection and disinformation. June 29, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
What buzzards on a branch can teach us about not being timid writers A look back at the best anecdote ever in memory of great storyteller Larry McMurtry April 6, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
See. Ask. Write. A writing lesson from Zoom. Those we write about are surrounded by objects that provide details about their lives. Here are the three simple steps to revealing them. March 26, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
How to decide when to ‘rescue’ your darlings and other writing tips Where to find inspiration, how to know when it's time to stop writing and other answers to students' questions from writing coach Roy Peter Clark March 19, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
When the topic is tough, frame it as a ‘mystery’ to be solved It’s a ‘secret’ that all good public writers know. Call it clickbait for nerds. March 9, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
How and why writers should avoid ‘the curse of knowledge’ As writers, we know what we know, but often find it difficult to imagine what it’s like not to know what we know — to the detriment of the reader. March 5, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
From perfecting your craft to sharpening your sense of mission Writing coach Roy Peter Clark answers questions from journalism students about what he has learned working as both a journalist and instructor. October 16, 2020 Roy Peter Clark
Rosary Beads and Sensible Shoes: How to help someone tell her story The day after Sept. 11, 2001, I got to interview my cousin Theresa, who escaped from the 57th floor of Tower I after it was hit by the plane. September 11, 2020 Roy Peter Clark
Columnist Dave Barry on writing humor during the pandemic Humor has been keeping us sane, Barry says, and we have the toilet paper shortage to thank. August 26, 2020 Roy Peter Clark
On the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima, we learn once again from the work of John Hersey The world changed on Aug. 6, 1945, and Hersey gave us a view of what American forces had unleashed. It ended one war but ushered in the nuclear age. August 11, 2020 Roy Peter Clark
