Even if you’ve led a law-abiding life, you might have a friend or family member who gets into serious trouble and faces time in prison. That’s when you could be asked to write a letter on this loved ...

Daily journal writing has been shown to increase intelligence, reduce stress, and even strengthen immunity. At first though, it felt like unpaid work. How to avoid dead plots Dead plots are actually a ...

“Do you have any advice for writing about people who do not look like you?” I was at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference this summer, on a panel of writers of color. We talked about our concerns, from ...

Editor’s note: This essay was originally published in America on May 25, 1957, titled “Character and Form in Creative Writing.” On May 2 in New York, the Campion Award of the Catholic Book Club was ...

Mark Bowden is the author of 13 books, including Black Hawk Down and the riveting new true crime book, The Last Stone, about fiercely dedicated police detectives working on a cold case that began in ...

A character reference letter can make or break an applicant’s chances. Here’s how to write a great one. A character reference letter can make or break an applicant’s chances Before the days of ...

Write the story that you most want to read. Which, yeah, for the majority of us means a story about a giraffe and a fireman who are best friends, and the fireman hangs out in a tree so that he can be ...

You’ve been asked to write a character assessment letter and are probably wondering why is a character assessment letter needed and what’s the best way to write one? Here’s why employers want ...

Writing is tricky. It's difficult for anyone to maintain the awkward waltz between our thoughts, our writing implements, and the words on the page. So one can only imagine the chaos that can result ...

This is part of Help! Wanted, a special series from Slate advice. In the advising biz, there are certain eternal dilemmas that bedevil letter writers and columnists alike. This week, we’re taking them ...