When I was in high school, I struggled with writing. I just didn’t get it. I read constantly, and knew what I liked. But I didn’t have a clue how to write something myself. I was always on the lookout for books on how to write. Everyone always mentioned Strunk and White. I hated that book. (If The Elements of Style works for you, of course, stick with it. If not, you might enjoy Spunk and Bite.) Even though it was deceivingly tiny, the book was packed with complicated rules about grammar and syntax–and yes, I know I violate them constantly–but did little to tell me how to write well.

Over the years, working as a reporter for daily newspapers, I eventually learned how to write–because I had to. My job was to gather information, quickly and accurately, and share it in a direct, clear manner. But I also learned that if I wanted people to read what I wrote, I had to engage them at the start. That’s when I learned about the power of a good story, mainly through the style known as New Journalism. (New Journalism basically incorporated fiction-writing techniques into news writing, using anecdotal leads and including more descriptive language, etc.)

In the 90s, when I found Anne Lamott’s book on writing, called Bird by Bird, I felt that someone was giving me useful writing advice for the first time. She helped me understand the power of truth in writing. But she was more like a coach, helping you get your head around the process of writing. I wanted useful tools and techniques.

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