Z=Zinsser (Feb 27)

. . . and more books on writing A sure method to improve as a writer is to be a reader, and in particular a reader of books on writing. These books impart not only the lessons the author has acquired in his lifetime, but also a sensibility that can help you feel like you

Y=You (Feb 26)

… and why we forget this Perhaps the hardest thing to do as a writer is a result of living right here and now. We are constantly stimulated.  Fear of missing out, or FOMO, distracts us.  We check our favorite application (for me, the current fave is Instagram), searching for a nugget of wisdom or

X=X-Factor (Feb 25)

… the unknown element This next one is tricky.  Slippery.  And, often, when you think you know it, you are wrong. To find it requires empathy, empathy in the sense that you have to experience your work the way an audience does.  The ‘it’ is the ‘X-Factor’. To begin with, you also need to have

W=Williams (Feb 24)

… puts the pieces together It’s time for the nitty gritty.  After all, we are almost at the end of our journey. So you have turned each thought or action into its own sentence.  You have turned sentences into paragraphs.  Now, how do you arrange them? Many writing experts have weighed in, but few as

V=Vonnegut (Feb 23)

… or The Shapes of Stories John Gardner stated only two kinds of stories exist: (1) a person goes on a journey, or (2) a stranger comes to town.  For number 1, think of The New Testament and Jesus; for 2, consider the gunslinger in High Noon.  The real question: as a writer, what do

U=University (Feb 22)

. . . and a lesson on more or less Part of learning is unlearning. As lessons confront experience, and experience increases ability, lessons must adapt or they will hold us back. This is the “exnovation” that clears the ground for “innovation”. When I was in journalism school, learning how to write for newspapers, our

T=Talk to Me (Feb 21)

As a writer, it’s often what you say.  More often it is the way you say it. Here’s a secret that good writers know: writing is a conversation.  Different conversations flow in different ways. For an academic audience, your purpose is to spark a discussion.  Maybe you want them to engage with a topic.  Perhaps

S=Structures of Language (Feb 20)

It takes a certain amount of hubris (and the craft mentioned in books like BURROWAY) to write on anything.  In doing so, certain truths become inescapable.  The most paramount truth is this: you don’t know much. To write, you are trying to capture life as you know it.  Then you recreate it for someone else. 

R=Repetition (Feb 19)

. . . of words and sounds To tell someone they are repetitive is not a compliment. Yet repetition is a very useful tool for writers. Consider Shakespeare. His sonnet 40, in 14 lines, has the word love 10 times, including five times in the first three lines: Take all my loves, my love, yea,

Q=Question-Based Writing (Feb 18)

Good art centers around questions. The pursuit of an answer is never-ending.  In that answer, there is revelation, or discovery, or a truth that can be emotional or empirical.  Good writing is art – and good writing is the same.  I will go one more step: good writing is only good because it answers a