A Sampling of Clark’s 50 Writing Tools

7.	Fear not the long sentence. Take the reader on a journey of language and meaning.
9.	Let punctuation control pace and space. Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think.
13.	Play with words, even in serious stories. Choose words the average reader avoids but the average reader understands.
18.	Set the pace with sentence length. Vary sentences to influence the reader’s speed.
22.	Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction. Learn when to show, when to tell, and when to do both.
25.	Learn the difference between reports and stories. Use one to render information, the other to render experience.
28.	Put odd and interesting things next to each other. Help the reader learn from contrast.
39.	Write toward an ending. Help readers close the circle of meaning.
41.	Turn procrastination into rehearsal. Plan and write it first in your head.
44.	Save string. For big projects, save scraps others would toss.