No matter how careful and talented a writer you are, you want an editor to give your story a careful reading. Here’s what a difference an editor can make. An editor takes a red pen to a story draft. (Illustration by News Decoder) At News Decoder, we share advice...
A book without dialogue is a slog to read. So is a news story. But once you get quotes from an interview what do you do with them? Here’s a quick guide. A reporter interviews an astronaut on the moon. (Illustration by News Decoder) In News Decoder’s Top...
Your opinion matters. But how you express that opinion in print can mean a yawning reader or one who can’t stop thinking about your ideas. Girl reads by flashlight under the covers. Illustration by News Decoder. If you go to a gathering and someone starts to...
Writing should not tie you up in knots. It is no more formal than speaking. Write as you would speak. Think of writing as speaking on paper. (Courtesy of Lansing Community College Library) Two authors taught me how to write. One was British civil servant Sir Ernest...
What’s the secret to good writing? It’s a process that can push authors outside their comfort zones as they challenge their assumptions. In her award-winning story, Claire Wang looked dispassionately at three countries as they struggled with COVID-19....