Here’s a rather nonintuitive writing tip I learned early in my career: When there’s tragedy, drama or big emotions in a story, pull the writing back. Do less. Let the story carry the weight of what’s ...

When asked to write a TV commercial for a car, Jeremy Clarkson, the presenter of the car show Top Gear, started the job with a complaint: “It’s a pretty car, but what they’ve done is put the engine ...