Talking about prose. The graduate class was a lot of fun again this evening, this time because we spent nearly 2 1/2 hours looking at well-written newspaper columns and trying to name the bits of writerly craft we saw there. Sentences set up as two balanced halves. Sentences formed into a graceful trio of elements. Wording that comes back like a refrain to hold a piece together. Bold metaphors, dry observations, quiet understatements that build in a reader's mind. Different kinds of voices, stories that slow down and take a very close look. Openings that dive right in. Stark contrasts. Sentences that vary gracefully in length and type. The feeling of character in the voice of the writer. And so forth.

Near the end one person confessed to having little faith in her chances as a writer. My speech about craft, technique, small things a writer can practice that start to add up to confidence and skill. Genius not required when craft is available. Stop thinking about talent and start looking for how Bob Herbert writes a sentence.

What good does that do bloggers, who might not revise much? In my experience, people who work on the craft of revising slowly start to writer better impromptu sentences, too. First drafts grow stronger, which should help lots of bloggers. And hey, why not revise our blog posts a bit before clicking on Submit? [0 & P]