Any experienced writer can master the short snappy sentence. It takes a good writer to master the long sentence, the one that takes the reader on a journey of discovery, the one that leads you to a special place you could not have imagined when you stepped on board the bus.
That is Roy Peter Clark, a brilliant journalist and writer himself, paying tribute to Roger Ebert by explaining why he thought the late film critic was a good writer.
Good? Why not "great"? Clark writes:
Notice I am not using the word “great” because good is good enough, especially if you’ve been good for more than forty years.
And then Clark examines the intros, what he calls "leads", from the first three examples of Ebert's work that he could find online.
Read Clark's post in its entirety here to understand why I am saying this is a scintillating piece of writing from which media students, journalists, and people who simply love reading good writing can learn plenty.
PS: Don't miss the punchline — Roy Peter Clark gets a zinger from Roger Ebert.
ADDITIONAL READING: "Point your mouse to Poynter".
ALSO READ: "Roger Ebert: A film critic like no other".
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