Carole King,  one of the most accomplished pop songwriters of our time, has just published a wonderful new autobiography called A Natural Woman. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book I enjoyed so much. King is very likable, she’s worked with some amazing people, and – my favorite feature of the book – she [...]

Every writer needs a good copyeditor. That sound principle was reinforced yesterday when I read a lovely book that could (and should) have been even better: My Father’s Places by Aeronwy Thomas, daughter of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The book is an enchanting memoir of growing up in Wales. Even someone unfamiliar with Thomas and his poetry would [...]

Writing professionally is very different from writing papers in school. The biggest difference (and one of the reasons I’m a writer) is that I get to choose the topics. A couple of weeks ago, a fellow Shaw scholar asked me to write a paper about Bernard Shaw and language for a book he’s proposing. Should [...]

Dialogue – back-and-forth conversation between two or more people – is a vital component of most novels and short stories. You might also use dialogue in a nonfiction report, article, or book. Every writer should know how to write effective dialogue. Here are some practical tips: 1.  Know your purpose: background information setting a mood [...]

Turns out I don’t know the difference between jibe and gibe. I made this discovery when I took a Washington Post editing quiz based on the latest edition of the AP Stylebook. Click here if you’d like to try the quiz yourself (it’s short) – and you should. Anyone who’s serious about writing should have a sense of [...]

Strive to make the reading experience smooth and easy for your audience.