The darker and more dystopian the future appears, the more influential public writers become. But with so much content vying for our attention, and so much misinformation and propaganda polluting public discourse, how can writers break through the noise to inform an increasingly busy, stressed, and overwhelmed audience? In Tell It Like It Is, America's favorite writing coach offers a succinct and practical guide to writing with clarity, honesty, and conviction. By analyzing stellar samples from a diverse collection of public writers, Roy Peter Clark explains the tools journalists, scientists, economists, fact-checkers, even storytellers use to engage, inform, and hook readers. In doing so, he answers some of the most pressing questions facing writers today: How do I make hard facts easy reading? How do I get readers to pay attention to what they need to know? How do I help contribute to a culture of whang that combats misinformation? How do I instill hope in the hearts and minds of readers? With Clark's trademark wit, insight, and compassion, Tell It Like It Is offers a uniquely practical and engaging guide to public writing in unprecedented times-and an urgently needed remedy for a dangerously confused world.