Tom Clancy was one of the best-selling authors of all time. He didn’t think of himself as an author, though. In his own words:

“Fundamentally, I think of myself as a storyteller, not a writer.”

Think of yourself as a storyteller and the story rules. You pick your words based on the story you’re telling. But when you write like a writer, you let style and “rules” get in the way of the story.

Don’t write like a writer. Write like Tom Clancy. Tell the story.

Business Authors: here are some more lessons from Tom Clancy.

Here’s a link to the last time Tom Clancy give us “Advice from the Masters.”

Want more? Check out the complete list of Advice from the Masters posts.