“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”—Larry L. King, WD

This quote by Larry L. King, an American playwright; that I wrote in my diary represents the fundamental role of writing and making sure that I receive the best results of the writing that I create. Albeit academic writing might be tedious, it is still a significant skill to acquire. Being able to write academically creates a well-educated individual and can develop other writing styles, which can be useful for wherever your life and career may take you. Writing, more than a one-step process, is a craft.

“Writing is a craft you can learn; you need tools, not rules,” Roy Peter Clark, one of the most influential writing teacher, once said. With this principle, Clark whittled down decades of his experience as a journalist and writing instructor into a series of short essays on different aspects of writing. Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer has become a classic guidebook for novices and experts alike and remains one of the best loved books on writing available.

Perhaps the easiest way to depict Clark’s bookis to draw a metaphor: I am so into lasagna and I know how to make it. Of course, unlike the professional lasagna makers, it is edible, at least! Now, I would like to make a piquant lasagna, but I have no idea what I should do. More mozzarella or parmesan cheese? Less vinegar or béchamel sauce? I still do not know what to change, and therefore I keep making the same mediocre lasagna. By the same token, my cooking applies to my writing. I know it could be better – I just cannot figure out how to improve it.

Through reading Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, I feel motivated and inspired. Clark’s plainspoken masterpiece dispenses a lifetime’s worth of practical advice in one slim, readable volume. It is essential for young aspiring scholars.