Writing Tools (10th Anniversary Edition)

55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

By: Roy Peter Clark

Narrated by: Neil Kaplan

A special 10th-anniversary edition of Roy Peter Clark's best-selling guide to writing, featuring five bonus tools.

Ten years ago, Roy Peter Clark, America's most influential writing teacher, whittled down almost 30 years of experience in journalism, writing, and teaching into a series of 50 short essays on different aspects of writing. In the past decade, Writing Tools has become a classic guidebook for novices and experts alike and remains one of the best loved books on writing available.

Organized into four sections, "Nuts and Bolts", "Special Effects", "Blueprints for Stories", and "Useful Habits", Writing Tools is infused with more than 200 examples from journalism and literature. This new edition includes five brand-new, never-before-shared tools.

Accessible, entertaining, inspiring, and, above all, useful for every type of writer, from high school student to novelist, Writing Tools is an essential book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2008 Roy Peter Clark (P)2021 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"Roy Peter Clark knows more about writing than anybody I know who is not currently dead." (Dave Barry, author of Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far))

"Clark is a joyful, brilliant teacher who unlocks the mysteries of literary flow. This book is one to keep near the keyboard." (Anne Hull, national reporter for the Washington Post)

"Roy is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of writing teachers.... Like its author, Writing Tools is brilliant, openhearted, and indispensable; it's easily one of the best books ever published about our craft." (Thomas French, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Zoo Story)

Been looking for a written treasure?

Here’s a map, the insights, and the tools to unearth a lifetime of creative writings!

Amazing Narration

The narrator was truly the heart and soul of this book. His inflections and verve brought each page to life and provided a levity I would not have otherwise gotten from print alone. The book itself is an essential tool to every writer... And no writer should report to work without their tools.

Refreshing

This is the first non fiction book I've listened to in a long while that has kept me interested. The advice and exercises don't take a lot of time and get to the point. The narration is lively for such a 'typically dull' topic (unless you love the craft of writing as I and many others do) and the narrator does a great job of infusing personality into the examples rather than reading it all straight. Overall, I found it a refreshing addition to my library.

This book helped me kickstart my own book!

My friend recommended this book to me when I told him I was working on a book proposal and worried about whether I was writing it in an accessible enough tone. I am so grateful he did. Roy Peter Clark has a charming and engaging way of explaining simple and effective writing strategies for the average person who forgot everything they learned about grammar or maybe never learned it well to begin with. I’m hooked on this author and have listened to all his other audiobooks. They’ve all helped me a little along the way. The narrator for this one is funny and strikes the right tone so it helps keep it interesting.

Great book ruined by narrator

I’ve read the text and found it an illuminating guide. While Mr. Kaplan is an energetic reader, his shtick performance detracts and eventually alienates, robbing me of the joy i have always derived from Mr. Clark’s works. I have, unfortunately, stopped the audiobook.

A must read for all writers!

This is a book that I’ll reread and continue to reference. The humor kept the pace fast and engaging.

Clear and comprehensive

I've listened to a book on writing where it was difficult to differentiate when the narrator was reading an excerpt from when they were reading the book itself; not the case with this book. This book has everything for every type of writing, including fiction, writing, non-fiction writing, and academic writing. I got the book to help me in my academic writing and I was no disappointed.

Distracting narration

If you like to hear quotes read in funny voices, I would highly recommend this title.

Great lecture from a cartoon

Are you five? Do you like your insight imparted by a clown making a funny faces? You’ll love this. The narrator, while clearer a talented voice actor, attempts to “bring the text to life” with some of the most misguided narration instincts of all time. I tapped out on chapter seven.