(The third post in a five-week, five-subject series that summarizes an entire semester of Journalism 101.)

I just finished the latest release by one of my favorite authors. It’s his thirteenth with the same protagonist, and I think he gets better with each one. It’s obvious he’s so deeply in his protagonist’s skin he probably dreams in character, but his stories remain fresh, and storylines invigorating. How does he do it, I wonder?

As I worked through this blog post, I came across an excellent compendium of lists about famous authors and their writing tips. It’s better and more comprehensive than anything I would write here, and I believe in ceding to genius when I encounter it. So I’d like to share these links with you, and hope you enjoy discovering how some of our literary forefathers developed their craft.

Author Henry Miller’s 11 Commandments of Writing:  http://bit.ly/ADuqtC

Adman David Ogilvy’s 10 Writing Tips:  http://bit.ly/zQpvMN

Author Jack Kerouac’s List of 30 Beliefs and Techniques for Prose and Life:  http://bit.ly/GFL2Dk

Author John Steinbeck’s 10 Pointers:  http://bit.ly/wYMyfg

Author Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Tips on How to Write a Short Story:  http://bit.ly/hj91vM  (YouTube video)

From Vonnegut’s “every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action” (my favorite) to Kerouac’s “visionary tics shivering in the chest” (I think he was high), I’d love to hear which nuggets you think will enable you to  approach your work in a more educated and professional way. Remember, I’m interested!