Craft of Writing

As writers, we learn not to repeat words. We look for and cut out our favorite words when used too often. I have had many […]

“Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean ‘More people died’ don’t say “Mortality rose.” ~ C. S. Lewis “A good […]

I was once asked for writing advice contextualized as, “If you could offer only one piece of advice…” Without hesitation, I responded, “Get a solid […]

When I peruse my local bookstore for my next purchase, there’s a process I use to decide how to spend my hard-earned dollars. First, the […]

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 […]