A model for great writing

 

“Mywriting improved the more I wrote - and the more I read good writing, fromShakespeare on down.  I wasalso in love with the English language.” – Dick Schaap

Born on this date in 1934 Schaap started his writing career as a sportswriterat age 14 at the Nassau Daily Review-Star.  There, he was mentored by famed writer andeditor Jimmy Breslin, who he ultimately worked with at three differentnewspapers and as co-author of a best-selling book.

 

After earning degrees from Cornelland the Columbia School of Journalism, Schaap served as assistant sports editorfor Newsweek magazine before movinginto television.  Acclaimed as both anews and sports reporter, he won 6 Emmys for his work at NBC, ABC andESPN. 

 

The first of Schaap's 33 books wasthe mega-bestseller Instant Replay, co-authoredwith Green Bay Packer all-pro guard Jerry Kramer.  From there his wide range of book topicsincluded a political biography of Bobby Kennedy; the novel .44, co-authored with Breslin and based on the “Son of Sam” murders;and Bo Knows Bo about baseball andgridiron star Bo Jackson, and the best-selling sports biography of alltime.   

 

Also a theatre critic (for ABCtelevision), he became the only person in history to vote for both Broadway'sTony Awards and football's Heisman Trophy winner.

 

Schaap, who died from a respiratoryinfection in 2001, offered this advice to beginning writers:  “Read and reflect on writers you admire.  And then model your writing aftertheirs.  If a writing style captures yourattention, then don’t you want to write that way yourself?”

 

@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}