As a writer I try to operate within a framework of Christian principles, and the words that are important to me are religious words: witness, pilgrimage, intention.

Rewriting is the essence of writing well - where the game is won or lost.

I try to make what I have written tighter, stronger and more precise, eliminating every element that's not doing useful work. Then I go over it once more, reading it aloud, and am always amazed at how much clutter can still be cut.

Writing and learning and thinking are the same process.

Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.

Many of us were taught that no sentence should begin with "but." If that's what you learned, unlearn it - there's no stronger word at the start. It announces a total contrast with what has gone before, and the reader is thereby primed for the change.