The original The Elements of Style was composed by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary principles of composition", "a few matters of form", a list of 49 "words and expressions commonly misused", and a list of 57...

“When you get up in front of a group of people, you make a contract with them; you promise them, “I am going to deliver value X.” Every once in a while, you have to say, “See, I remember; I am keeping my promise.”- Leonard Peikoff Professor Peikoff teaches readers how...

“Never let up. In stories, things go from bad to worse, even if nobody wants them to. If she wants to apologize, interrupt her. Whenever anyone is about to release tension, interrupt her. Is the couple on the date about to kiss? Pull them apart. You might think the...

“A character is no more a human being than the Venus de Milo is a real woman. A character is a work of art, a metaphor for human nature. We relate to characters as if they were real, but they're superior to reality. Their aspects are designed to be clear and knowable;...

Clear writing is a function of clear thinking, with the principles of grammar being the bridge that connects the two. “At the end of the course,” says Dr. Peikoff, “you should be able to see every grammatical rule, directly or indirectly, as a consequence or...

“In 1958, Ayn Rand… gave a private series of extemporaneous lectures in her own living room on the art of fiction…. The Art of Fiction offers invaluable lessons, in which Rand analyzes the four essential elements of fiction: theme, plot, characterization, and style....

In 1958, Ayn Rand, already the world-famous author of such bestselling books as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, gave a private series of extemporaneous lectures in her own living room on the art of fiction.  The Art of Fiction offers invaluable lessons, in which...