Writing Tools
Why it worked: A rhetorical analysis of Obama’s speech on race
The National Conference of Teachers of English (NCTE) has declared today a National Day on…
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…
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…
Why I always play music during writing workshops
The most fun I have as a teacher is when I can incorporate music into…
After a few years out of print, ‘Coaching Writers’ will return
Don FryI met my first real writing coach in 1970. Don Fry was my graduate…
Shark-hunting for ‘Old Hitler’ reveals storytelling tips
When I arrived at the St. Petersburg Times in 1977, the first writer I bonded…
For Banned Books Week: An X-ray reading from Catcher in the Rye
File photo of J.D. Salinger appears next to copies of his classic novel "The Catcher…
Want to avoid procrastination? Impose an early deadline on yourself
When I wrote "The Glamour of Grammar," I turned in the manuscript about three months…
Dashes — the Kardashians of punctuation
The dash is the Kim Kardashian of punctuation marks: misplaced, over-exposed, shamelessly self-promoting, always eager…
Accept praise for something great in your story – even if you didn’t mean it
We writers say we want more praise for our work, but, when it comes, we…
Friendly Fire: learn its history before you use it
An Afghan police officer stands guard during a campaign rally in the Paghman district of…
Why these are the ‘Ten Best Sentences’
The editors of American Scholar have chosen “Ten Best Sentences” from literature, and readers have…
A new explanatory journalism can be built on a strong foundation
I like young writers with big ideas. I met Ezra Klein last year at a…