Good writing doesn’t happen magically. It takes clear thinking, careful reading, and lots of time writing. Jo helps writers of all levels through online coaching and editorial guidance. (Just email her at JoKad@mac.com to learn more.) In the meantime, here’s a list of some very helpful works to get you started:

For general craft:                                                                                                                             •On Writing Well by William Zinsser. (Don’t even think about writing without first reading this book.)

For thinking about writing and creativity:

•Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor

•Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle

•The Writer’s Life by Annie Dillard

•Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

•“Why Work?” an essay by Dorothy L. Sayers

•Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

For journalism:                                                                                                                    •The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel

•Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers’ Guide Edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University

For creative writing:                                                                                                           •The Modern Library’s Writer’s Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch

For public relations:                                                                                                         •The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott

•How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times by Roy Peter Clark

•The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell