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.