Been years since I taught a full semester class. If I taught one now, at HS or College level, in lit or journalism, I would organize class so that each student writes something -- in class -- so I can watch them -- for every session. Never a class without some writing.
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Roy Peter Clark
@RoyPeterClark
Teach writing at Poynter. Author: Writing Tools, Glamour of Grammar, Help! For Writers, How to Write Short, Art of X-Ray Reading, Murder Your Darlings. Rocker!
Roy Peter Clark’s Tweets
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Lovely. These encounters mean so much. I sat next to a big family with a little girl at a fast food place and we smiled and waved so I drew her a bear on a little card; then in the parking lot I saw her marching her bear happily forward. Unforgettable!
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I wrote this story of an encounter with a 10-year-old boy to lift my own spirits. I hope it does the same for you, and that you don't run into a paywall.
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Good piece by including 10 rigorous steps to writing honest nonfiction (another h/t to 's Damn History newsletter - sign up!):
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I've read 3 books this month for my MFA program: "Writing Tools" by , "Born a Crime" by and "American Summer" by . A superior start. All important & beautiful works. Thank you to the writers for the education you've given me. Read these books.
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Notice I am getting lots of tweets about great guitar player Roy Clark. Lots of us share name with famous person. He seemed like gracious man and fabulous musician. I got to meet him before a concert. He took a photo with us, and laughed when he saw my nametag. I loved Hee Haw.
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Come intern with us! Life & Culture interns have been known to ride roller coasters for work.
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Hey, kids, it's August. Time for school. And Writing Tools. Cheap.
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What's your favorite book about writing?
I just finished 's 'Murder Your Darlings' and it inspired me, refreshed my memory of some books I've read, and sparked my interest in some that I haven't.
#writing #writingcommmunity #booksonwriting #writersoftwitter
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I hang out at coffee shops and see and overhear lots of stuff I can turn into newspaper columns. I also look for objects that have stories hiding inside of them: old books, photos, heirlooms.
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@RoyPeterClark @toddkashdan Any tips for coming up with article ideas? I've spent a fair amount of time slowing down and working on my skills and now I'd like to be a bit more productive than I've been the past few years.
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Just finished teaching a summer journalism course for , and now teaching a writing course for graduate-level accounting students . I’m a big believer that it’s important for all students to learn how to be better writers!
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Writing Tools - 55 essential strategies for every writer
Not an academic writing book, but the tools apply to research papers.
Practical and fun.
Favorite tool: “the ladder of abstraction”.
I love it so much that I have both the audio and paperback versions.
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thank you, so much for writing and publishing the 10th anniversary of ‘55 essential strategies for every writer,’ it’s been an absolute pleasure to read as I struggle to learn narration. Thank you, deeply and with gratitude for making me laugh, and making it clear.
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Springsteen tix for Feb. in Tampa going for up to $4,000. In this column, I ask readers to name (or invent) show they would be willing to spend $1,000 to see. I list five, including Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald in concert. Feel free to name yours.
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Thanks Janice for the shoutout.
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Oh, God, YES this one! I am SO tired of calling out memoirists who take undisclosed liberties with facts. It would be a disaster for @PulitzerPrizes to allow it. Many H/Ts to @RoyPeterClark for spelling it out: poynter.org/commentary/202
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I am always amazed (see how that word has 'maze' in it?) the way I come to see a root word in a longer version: that 'epidemiology' has 'epidemic' in it; how 'incriminate' -- as in taking the Fifth -- has 'crime' in it.
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I submitted a draft of a newspaper column. It had two typographical misspellings and one big spelling mistake. All proper names. All caught by a splendid editor. Anybody remember Archie Bell & the Drells, the R&B group from Houston, TX? Time for me to "Tighten Up."
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Big celebration planned for last August 7, our 50th anniversary. Chemo and Covid shut things down. Today is our 51st. By noon had nice breakfast, went to Mass, hit favorite coffee shop, brought gift to new baby, getting ready to see daughter in performance of RENT. We pretty good
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I'm with Don Murray. All writers have to solve same problems. Finding an idea. Collecting stuff. Shaping a focus. Selecting the best. Building an order. Writing drafts. Revising everything. But distinction between fiction and nonfiction remains crucial.
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Sorry that in a recent essay I misspelled the location of Goucher College. That fine school is in Towson, MD. Hoping the academic dean there will not rescind my honorary degree.
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This year added memoir as a separate prize category. Jurors in that category are already on the job. But memoir is a slippery genre. Can the writer mix fact and fiction? I argue it would be wise for the Board to make their standards clear.
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One advantage of being a writer: when bad things happen to you, you can write about them. If you survive, the badder the better. Here is a fun story, looking back, of a squall, a wall, a fall, and a very close call.
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Replying to
thanks for teaching me the difference between being a lazy writer/ reporter and building on my previous work that I’ve already worked hard on!
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I reject the idea of 'self-plagiarism.' I would not republish a piece without consent of the editor. But if I wrote ten years ago an ideal description of the Skyway Bridge disaster -- or the writing process -- why can't I use it again today? Writing is hard enough already.
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Thanks to the Oxford Exchange in Tampa. This “shelfie” shows all six of the books I have done with Little, Brown. Half a million in print. Number 7 scheduled for April 2023. “Tell It Like It Is: A guide to clear and honest writing.” Maybe a writing workshop at OE in October!
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Frank Clines was a reporter who could write himself onto the front page of . He found a Girl Scout in NJ, the all-time cookie seller. All during the interview, she was hustling him to buy a box. Thanks to for posting my tribute.
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Francis X. Clines, one of the greatest New York Times reporters of his generation, died on Sunday. Don't miss this appreciation of his work from :
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Here's a lovely piece by on what he learned about good writing from Francis X. Clines, the peerless stylist who died this week. Read this, learn, then continue the lesson by hunting down Frank's timeless work.
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"Francis X. Clines arrived at The New York Times in 1958, one year before the death of that most brilliant writer Meyer Berger. It was the greatest replenishment of talent the Big Apple had seen since Mickey Mantle replaced Joe DiMaggio in centerfield."
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When Frank Clines died, lost one of their greatest writers ever. He helped shaped Poynter's earliest efforts to reinvigorate newspaper writer. Here is my tribute, with many bits of Clines wisdom about the craft.
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What has made St. Pete a progressive city in a regressive state? One answer would be coffee shops. During the pandemic, they have been our oases, safe microcosms of community where anything can happen. If you don't believe me, check this out!
Chip, thanks for being a partner in our long journey of discovery to grow in the writing craft.
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"Writing Tools" by @roypeterclark amazon.com/Writing-Tools- by @roypeterclark belongs on every writer's desk. A classic: inspiring, instructional and like its author, very entertaining. Said as a former colleague @Poynter, & friend who continues to learn from the master's pages.
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Well thanks for that - and for the book! Twitter is filled with hyperbole, but "X-ray Reading" really was the most exciting find I've had in decades and changed my fiction. Came at an especially cruicial time in my own writing journey, too. I'm glad to share it with others.
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What a gracious endorsement. Exploring how good writers read has been a great learning adventure. Cheers on your devotion to the craft.
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We've all heard what Daisy's green light means for Gatsby. But it means something totally different for @RoyPeterClark. Find out more about the book that changed my (writing) life and how reading with intent can help you. #amwriting #writingcommunity
towritewithwildabandon.com/p/reaching-for
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The day after I learned that R. Kelly was sentenced to 32 years in prison for his terrible crimes, I ran into a little kid who was singing "I believe I can fly." I hope that kid -- and I -- can hold on to that song. Here's how I am thinking about it.
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I wrote my last column in 39 minutes, with a bathroom break. Writers, keep the faith. You can do it.
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and yet some of us fools continue to practice the art!
mcsweeneys.net/articles/why-i
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My top 3 books:
1. 's "Writing Tools";
2.Ray Bradbury's "Zen in the Art of Writing";
3. 's "Bird by Bird"
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Thank you for sharing this, sir.
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Having traveled the world and seen life in other countries there's no place I'd rather be. #Happy4th #America Make it happen. @NFL @NBA @MLB @NHL @RoyPeterClark
Perspective: Ray Charles' 'America the Beautiful' is our best hope for bringing us together ow.ly/SgM250JNkng
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