A teacher of mine once said there are no true synonyms.

Writing is not magic. It’s a craft, a process, a set of steps. As with any process, things sometimes break down. Even in a good story, the writer runs into problems. So the act of writing always includes problem solving.

Express your most powerful thought in the shortest sentence.

I may have grown up in the Age of Aquarius, but I'm growing old in the Age of the Acronym.

Riffing on language will create wonderful effects you never intended. Which leads me to this writing advice: 'Always take credit for good stuff you didn't intend, because you'll be getting plenty of criticism in your career for bad stuff you didn't mean either.'

For what good is freedom of expression if you lack the means to express yourself?

Everyone should read, we say, but we act as if only those with special talent should write.