Using a narrative thread that ties practical advice to his personal experience as reporter, blogger and professor, Jerry Lanson fills his new book on nonfiction writing with time-proven techniques to beat writer's block and hone the skills necessary to write well. Examples from Lanson's own work as well as that of other widely read reporters, bloggers and essayists make Writing for Others, Writing for Ourselves a practical guide for writers seeking to perfect their own work. From learning to frame ideas early, to developing the writer's voice, the tips, tricks, and lessons that Lanson shares will enliven any writer's work.

Jerry Lanson has coached editors and reporters at newspapers ranging from The Christian Science Monitor to The Boston Globe. He contributes regularly to The Monitor's opinion pages. He is a former Deputy City Editor and Peninsula Bureau Chief of the San Jose Mercury News in San Jose, California. He was part of the city-desk staff awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Lanson is currently associate professor of journalism at Emerson College.

Chapter 1 Finding a Place -and Space-to Think
Chapter 2 A Little Jazz
Chapter 3 Culling Life's Experience
Chapter 4 Gathering String
Chapter 5 The Passive Observer at Work
Chapter 6 Finding Fresh Stories
Chapter 7 Reconnaissance
Chapter 8 Honing the Focus
Chapter 9 Interviewing for Story
Chapter 10 Bring Back the Breed of the Dog
Chapter 11 Six-Word headlines, Ten-Point Outlines
Chapter 12 Drafting Fast
Chapter 13 Organizing Stories
Chapter 14 No One Gets It Right the First Time
Chapter 15 Finding a Niche