Advice from the Masters: Anton Chekhov

Sep 19, 2012 | Better Writing

Anton Chekhov was a physician, playwright, and one of the greatest short stories writers ever. Here’s his advice, good for writers of every kind.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

This is good advice, even if you’re writing a business book. Don’t tell the reader what you see, help the reader see. Description is one way to do that. A story is another. Statistics and examples can do it, too.

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