Read Charles’s tips and reflections in the Writing Ideas newsletter. Sign up here:
Here’s the path out of editing hell
Bad editing is torment. Office workers know what I am saying. After unclear initial direction, a document goes around and ...
When to make big decisions about your writing
Photo of Philip Roth / Yesterday I completed final revisions on two books, both of them projects I started more ...
Why practice outweighs talent
Except from a 1973 essay by Charles Wohlforth I was asked again today how to become a writer—how did I ...
Are we ready for an illiterate AI society?
Adult literacy is dropping in the rich nations of the world. An international study shows that about a third of ...
Back in the trenches of local science reporting
Writing projects sometimes start at odd places. I met John Upton in a coffee shop near the Port Authority Bus ...
In praise of long sentences
Shorter sentences aren’t always easier to understand, whatever you may have heard from your composition teacher or writing software. The ...
Almost everyone lies to aspiring writers
Some writers I coach need me to be a teacher, mentor, or therapist. Others are just looking for someone to ...
Here’s a book I want to write
Postcard from Alaska, 1942 Over the years I’ve learned and lived a lot of Alaska history. As I look at ...
Charles Wohlforth has written many of his own books, has ghost-written others, and helps many writers find their own way into print. Learn how to work with Charles.