Mastering the Craft of Writing: How to Write With Clarity, Emphasis, and Style

Make Every Word Memorable!

To be remembered for your words, you need to write with skill and style. Whether you're crafting a novel, composing an e-mail, or creating a technical report, Mastering the Craft of Writing presents 52 practical techniques to improve your prose. Spend a week with each technique, or use this book as a go-to reference. Either way, you'll have the tools to enliven your writing and delight your readers.

   • Write with economy: Eliminate wordiness, use strong verbs to drive your sentences, and don't trust modifiers.
   • Write with emphasis: Use punctuation for effect, structure sentences and paragraphs for coherency and flow, and employ repetition to make your point.
   • Write with distinction: Use your imagination to create the unexpected, add a light-hearted touch to your writing, and go beyond clarity to eloquence and grace.
With exercises, entertaining asides, and a wealth of useful information, Mastering the Craft of Writing is an invaluable resource for any writer. Once you master these techniques, you'll want to use them in everything you write.

Stephen Wilbers is a writing consultant, award-winning author, and columnist. He has offered training seminars in effective writing to a wide variety of clients and teaches both written and oral presentation as a Senior Fellow in the University of Minnesota's Technological Leadership Institute. His book on stylistic technique, Keys to Great Writing, has been described as "a writing class in a book." An avid reader, canoeist, cyclist, Nordic ski racer, and two-time skydiver, he and his wife Debbie have two grown children and one granddaughter and live in Minneapolis.