The Furlow Writing Lab

Lots of bright, knowledgeable people with much to say are writing fiction and nonfiction books these days. Many are brilliant lawyers, business people, scientists, teachers or sales reps but lack a full understanding of the rules of grammar, punctuation and style. Some write well word-to-word but do not know how to structure a book, or even a chapter.

The Furlow Writing Lab, hosted by Two-for-One Editing, offers bite-size lessons and tips based on common problems we see in the works of new authors. Without embarrassing authors, whom we admire for their willingness to put themselves on the line, we use this space to point to good and bad examples that can help us all improve our writing.

Equally important, we solicit your questions about your own work or passages you have read and wondered about in the works of others. The blog should not be a mere tutorial but a conversation about what makes good writing.

Davilynn and Bill Furlow are longtime editors who worked for many years at the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers. They have run a communications consulting practice and done all manner of writing and editing for a wide range of clients. Now they’re focused on books, with a particular interest in working with authors who are very serious about what they’re doing but who need high-end editing to turn their manuscripts into professional-quality books. (See more about the Furlows at www.twoforoneediting.blogspot.com)

Very few among us are natural writers. Writing is hard work. Even mastery of grammar, punctuation and spelling doesn’t guarantee a well-written book. For example, how much description of a person or place is enough, and when does more detail become tiresome and counterproductive? When should the rules be obeyed, and when should they be broken for the sake of clarity or emphasis? How can a writer tell whether his or her work will have the desired effect on readers?

Welcome to The Furlow Writing Lab. Come on in and join the conversation.

Davilynn Furlow
Bill Furlow