Letters Remain

Category: writing

  • Story Types for Speeches (and TV)

    Each and every time I begin to structure a speech or presentation I consider which ‘story type’ to use (if it is suitable at all). Not being particularly well-versed in these, I recently came across a couple of useful resources. First, Nick Morgan’s description of the five “basic stories that Western culture has to make…

  • George Carlin’s Last Interview

    Shorty before his death last year, comedian George Carlin gave what was to become his last wide-ranging interview—with Jay Dixit, senior editor of Psychology Today. Carlin discusses many things in this interview; from detailing his method for coming up with material to his use of technology and this on the advantages of being an older…

  • (Un)Successful Assignment Proposals

    I could/should have included this in my previous post on Baum, but I believe these merit separate mention: Successful assignment proposals for publications such as Playboy, Rolling Stone and The New York Times. Unsuccessful assignment proposals for Gourmet, The New Yorker, and more. As Jason points out, New Yorker editor John Bennet called Baum’s proposal for a story…

  • Dan Baum and The New Yorker

    Dan Baum (a staff writer for The New Yorker ’til his firing in 2007) has been revealing details about his tenure on his Twitter account. In addition to discussing some day-to-day workings of The New Yorker, he’s also provided some great advice for aspiring writers. Baum has compiled his tweets in a much more readable format on his…

  • Writing for the Web

    Former LA Times writer Cathy Curtis believes that writing for the web has improved her skills as a copywriter. She shares some of what she has learnt and some advice about web copywriting in an eminently readable article for AIGA, the American Institute for Graphic Art. [In my journalism days] I wasn’t terribly concerned with the…

  • Writing for a Living

    Award-winning author Colm Tóibín claimed earlier this year that he gains no enjoyment from writing.  The Guardian asked a slew of other authors whether or not they enjoyed writing for a living, and the answers were surprisingly mixed. This from the original interview with Colm Tóibín: I write with a sort of grim determination to deal with things…

  • Obsession and Writing on the Web

    At SXSW 2009, John Gruber and Merlin Mann held a panel on “building a blog you can be proud of, trying to improve the quality of your work, reaching the people you admire, and maybe even making a buck”. The talk, available as a 43f Podcast on Mann’s site, is worth your time whether you…

  • Growing Sentences

    How to develope sentences in the style of David Foster Wallace (visit Jason’s post to see an example of how powerful this can be for prose): Begin with an idea, a string of ideas. Use them in a compound sentence. Add rhythm with a dependent clause. Elaborate using a complete sentence as interrupting modifier. Append…

  • Writing ‘On Writing Well’

    William Zinsser—author of 17 books—talks in length on the trials and tribulations of writing ‘On Writing Well’. My initial fear of immodesty was misguided. The best teachers of a craft, I saw, are their own best textbook. Students who take their classes really want to know how they do what they do—how they grew into…

  • The Storytelling of Ian McEwan

    I’ve never read any of Ian McEwan’s novels, but after reading a lot of intriguing stories about his writing style (specifically, this article discussing McEwan’s Enduring Love) I think I may have to add him to my reading list. This comprehensive look at Ian McEwan’s life and writings—full of insights and observations—will hopefully pique your interest too. via Arts…