Writing takes your breath away for many reasons

Laura Davis is a writing coach whose online offerings encourage followers to write about a topic she suggests in a “prompt.” A few days ago, she suggested that we write about something that has taken our breath away.

On that very day, an obituary of the journalist Dan Collins did just that for me. I did not know who he was, but when the obit identified his wife as the New York Times opinion columnist Gail Collins, I felt a gut punch; the breath gushed out of me; grief pressed in on me.

Her loss felt personal to me, even though I have never met either of them. I feel like I know Gail — like a precious member of my family — because her values, her wit and her writing always rivet me.

It pains me to think of her having to go on without him.

So, that’s how I responded to Laura Davis’ prompt.

Gail Collins and her husband met in the mid-1960s, when both studied political science at the University of Massachusetts. They later worked together for the United Press International wire service, before he moved on to CBS News and she to the Times.

If you’ve ever read Collins’ columns, you probably remember that whenever she wrote about Mitt Romney’s political life — regardless of the topic — without exception she included the fact that he once drove his family on a vacation with their dog strapped to the top of the car. That repetition, for a long time, became her signature.

What do I love about her writing? Everything she writes sounds as if she is talking to me. She doesn’t write “writing.” She tells a story, in conversational language.

Almost every writing sage I cite in these columns offers the same advice: For clarity, keep it simple; for meaning, choose precise verbs; for effect, end sentences with impact.

You’ll find writing prompts from Laura Davis by signing up online at the Writer’s Journey. It’s free.

Now, please send me an example of something you have read that took your breath away.

Gary Gilson can be reached at writebetterwithgary.com.