“It is possible to write out of ego. It is possible, but it is also painful and exhausting. Back in my drinking days, I used to strain to be brilliant, to write the best, the most amazing, the most dazzling…Is it any wonder that additives seemed like a good idea, like a secret hidden advantage … Continue reading
After nearly 4 months, I finally finished the piece I was working on. Now that it’s complete, I’m nagged by that dreaded inevitable question: “what’s next?” This feeling is familiar to most writers. We work untold hours diligently, dedicatedly, even obsessively on a project, completely absorbed in an idea only to finally finish and feel … Continue reading
William Zinsser once said, “The most important sentence in any article is the first one.” Though they’re the most vital part of a piece, hooks are often the most difficult to construct. Sometimes the task of constructing a proper lead is so tough, I just dive right into the material. That or begin with a stock template out of … Continue reading
It’s good to finally take yourself seriously as a writer but—as you find markets for your work—you must not forget the simple joy of making art. In my experience, the best writing is done in a spirit of fun without the expectation of a client or reader. The pieces I hold dearest were written on … Continue reading
William Zinsser, author of perennial classic On Writing Well, once argued the “mere serviceable is a drag.” Despite what stuffy academics and the literati might say, I completely agree: the primary goal of writing is entertainment. “What?” you might scoff in disbelief, “what about the nobler goals of information and persuasion, guidance and enlightenment?” Yes, … Continue reading
According to Barbara Baig, author of How to Be a Writer, writing depends on one thing: observation. As Marcel Proust once said, “The voyage of discovery is not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Most of us go about our lives in a sort of stupor, only half aware of the physical … Continue reading
Reading Roy Peter Clark’s brilliantly practical Writing Tools and stumbled upon a writing strategy I adore: Writing Tool #23: “Place gold coins along the path: Reward the reader with high points, especially in the middle.” The question that torments every writer: how do we compel our readers to keep reading? Famed editor of the Wall Street … Continue reading
The Blank-Faced Confidante 