Here is a common scene: A supervisor agrees to write your letter of recommendation with one condition—you draft it. Shocker. We, too, were surprised the first time this happened to us. We assumed ...

Mark Twain once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” It’s a good reminder: It does take time to write a short, well-crafted letter. I know the challenge ...

This is part of Help! Wanted, a special series from Slate advice. In the advising biz, there are certain eternal dilemmas that bedevil letter writers and columnists alike. This week, we’re taking them ...

Good tidings to you! I write this letter today to tell you: personal writing is tough. Sure, elementary school might have taught us about structure and form — the textbooks say a well-composed letter ...