Craft of Writing

The editor scanned the first three pages of my book manuscript. Then she peered at me over her reading glasses and asked, “What are you […]

Concise writing is imperative. Nobody said it’s easy. According to William Zinsser in his book, On Writing Well, “A clear sentence is no accident. Very […]

“Me” has become a dirty word and most people do everything they can to avoid saying it. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the heart of Silicon Valley or the remotest wilds of Alaska […]

Writers are usually encouraged to use the active voice and to avoid the passive voice, so it is important to be able to know and […]

One of the most important decisions you need to make as a writer, especially when writing fiction or creative nonfiction, is deciding which point of […]

Match the Message As I was working in my home office, I heard my wife, Alean, shout from somewhere down by the kitchen, “Hey! No […]

Well-rounded characters are equally as important to a story as the plot. They are what makes a reader feel for what is happening in a […]

As Will Rogers reminded us, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is never truer than when an agent or […]