A model for great writing

 

“My writing improved the more I wrote - and the more I read good writing, from Shakespeare on down.  I was also in love with the English language.” – Dick Schaap

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

 

After earning degrees from Cornell and the Columbia School of Journalism, Schaap served as assistant sports editor for Newsweek magazine before moving into television.  Acclaimed as both a news and sports reporter, he won 6 Emmys for his work at NBC, ABC and ESPN. 

 

The first of Schaap's 33 books was the mega-bestseller Instant Replay, co-authored with Green Bay Packer all-pro guard Jerry Kramer.  From there his wide range of book topics included 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 and gridiron star Bo Jackson, and the best-selling sports biography of all time.   

 

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

 

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