On Writing, Part 2A: The Writer’s Tools

Every trade has its tools, and the craft of writing is no different. King proposes that the writer needs to have various tools handy, and the less the writer consciously thinks about using them, the better. This week we look at the two most common (and important) tools in the box.
And lest you think this advice is for would-be novelists only, think again. It applies just as much to writers of day-to-day correspondences. Also, it adds fuel to the fire of those who already feel anger when reading sloppily-worded billboards.
Grammar police, ye be warned.