Does writing cause you grief? Are you frustrated when your words fail to accurately reflect your thinking? You’re not alone. You need help.

And whether writing is part of your job, or you’re working on the great American novel, this is the book you’ve been waiting for – lessons on writing that you’ll use every single day of your life – a book filled with anecdotes, practical tips and thought-provoking philosophy.

Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, Dr. Seuss, William Safire, Pat Conroy, Charles Dickens and others, this “How to Write” guide offers instruction and advice anchored in the real world. With examples ranging from business letters to the Lord’s Prayer, it speaks to writers of fiction, nonfiction, as well as corporate communicators, journalists and pleasure-writers.

The novice writer who can’t properly use an adverb, or fails to differentiate between “fewer than” and “less than” will find value in this book. As an editor and writing coach, Swartley advocates breaking a few rules from time to time, but he also discusses simple errors and confusions – careless violations of the protocols that separate amateurish writing from competent prose.

But at the core, “The Oldest Person in the Room” is both fun to read AND informative – a great source for grammar and usage, but also for the inspiration to quit procrastinating and actually WRITE ... and write with purpose!