Fred Sander’s Tips on Writing

Scriptorium – 10 Tips on Writing Well

Andrew Faris, over at Someone Tell Me the Story, has posted an interview he did with Fred Sanders on the subject of writing.   Fred points to Andrew’s post from his own blog, “Along the way I ranted about the current state of theological writing, recommended a few resources, and said ridiculous things like ‘ignore your audience.’ But there’s also some good advice in there. . . . “ 

There is. Fred Sanders is a good writer – Andrew Faris thinks he’s scary good:

I have been reading his blog for a long time and am working through his book (which we interviewed him about here), and I find myself almost scared by how good his writing is.  “Scared” because I get the feeling that he could convince me of almost any point he wanted to no matter how right or wrong he is about it.

Since I’d quite like to possess that same literary super-power, I asked Dr. Sanders if he wouldn’t mind sharing with me (and in turn, our readers) some ways to improve my writing skills. 

An interview about how to write well with a scary-good writer who happens to be an evangelical theologian, a professor at Biola – teaching for over ten years now - and the world’s greatest systematic theologian cartoonist. What’s not to like? 

I’ll go ahead and present the outline ala Justin Taylor.  It’ll serve as an overview once folks have read and digested the full interview.  I like to keep this kind of thing for review, anyway.  But I encourage you to read it all :

1. Read widely and read for craft. For theologians: reading for craft means you’re going to have to read more than just theology.
2. Get interested.
3. Get critiques if you can.
4. Catch yourself doing something good, and try to keep doing it.
5. Revise.
6. Write a lot.
7. Don’t think very hard about the audience.
8. Try to be helpful.
9. Make top ten lists.

H.T.   Justin Taylor