What I learned covering a mutiny at sea
I was ready to go home at the end of my work day when I got a call about a possible mutiny at sea. …
Why length matters
Developing control as a writer through disciplined attention to length
What to do with the sacred muse
Memoirs sometimes show you things the author didn’t intend. A painfully egotistical book is an …
What prose styles tell us about our minds
English prose styles change through time like musical or artistic styles, but within the period of a …
Does it matter who’s real or fake?
If you can’t tell the difference between a novel written by a human being and one written by AI, why …
Why everyone needs an editor
A close friend or partner (in my case, Sarah is both) can be like an editor for your life, helping …
How and why I’m competing for your attention
To get people’s attention, you must give them something at least as valuable in return. Writing …
How to write about sex or boredom
Few writing tasks are as risky as describing sex. The task itself is easy and can be fun—but even …
Is ghost-writing dishonest?
Eyes widen at parties when I tell people I am a ghostwriter, as if I’ve admitted I do something …
What I learned about myself from ghostwriting
I never intended to be a ghostwriter, but the job made me a better writer and a better person, …
Why paper is here to stay
As I mailed my last Christmas card of the season, I basked in a treasured emotion: feeling virtuous …
How to manage the tricks of memory
Working with Senator Lisa Murkowski for years on her recent book, I came to know her two ways: …
Who profits when AI teaches illiteracy?
AI is accelerating the decline of literacy and impoverishing the English language, but as concerning …
Why English is losing power
A friend was shocked when young associates didn’t know the meaning of ‘teetotaler,’ a once-common …
Who is the invisible person next to you?
There are tricks to explaining complex ideas in prose, but the most important skill is holistic: …
Creation and the erotic spirit
The extraordinary poet Stanley Kunitz wrote that the essence of creativity is the erotic spirit, a …
Learning to see again
I looked at my wife across the table and suddenly saw how beautiful she is, as if seeing her for the …
He taught me the most important writing lesson
I never had a better boss than Tom Gibboney, the publisher at a weekly in an Alaskan fishing village …
How to mix a cocktail of metaphors
One of my witty writer friends responded to my newsletter about style by suggesting I write next …
A good coach helps you think outside yourself
Sometimes a coach can offer a single insight that makes all the difference. I discovered this …
Now is the time for moral courage
My last piece attracted a lot of attention because it was about physical courage and worthy …
What I learned from a man who was eaten by a bear
What is a good man? That question always makes me think of a story I wrote as a newspaper reporter …
This is not my beautiful life
I’m fascinated by stories of abrupt, drastic life changes. They light up the far corners of what’s …
Why practice outweighs talent
I was asked again today how to become a writer—how did I do it? My first piece, a short story, was …