Eloquence invites us to bring some part of ourselves to the transaction.

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

Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard. It's one of the hardest things that people do

When you're ready to stop, stop. If you have presented all the facts and made the point you want to make, look for the nearest exit.

Writing is a craft not an art.

Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga.

The writers job is like solving a puzzle, and finally arriving at a solution is a tremendous satisfaction.