"Three Little Words": A multi-part true story that keeps you wanting to read on. This is what journalism is really about

Journalism guru and Poynter doyen Roy Peter Clark, whose writing and teaching skills I have the greatest admiration for, is the author of a true story, Three Little Words, which he wrote as a multi-part series for The St Petersburg Times in 1996. This is how the newspaper introduces Three Little Words on its website:

Author Roy Peter Clark worked for two years to piece together this intensely personal family history. The story, which unfolded here and on the pages of the St. Petersburg Times over 29 days, challenges us to reconsider our thoughts about marriage, privacy, public health and sexual identity.

It is a touching story about a journey of trust, betrayal, and redemption. Make time to read it. You will marvel at the writing style — this is what journalism is about. Read it here: "Three Little Words".

• ADDITIONAL READING: "Point your mouse to Poynter" and "Roy Peter Clark's scintillating analysis of film critic Roger Ebert's intros".

• EXTERNAL READING: Roy Peter Clark takes us step by step through an American reporter's story about the Boston bombing and explains "not just why it works, but how it works". With this one blog post, Clark gives us a masterclass in news writing. Read this marvellous piece in its entirety here: Boston Globe reporter shows how news writing can unfold ‘like a story in a book’.