I'm not inclined to often post links to other long-form articles on this blog, and though I admit I have a vested interest in the survival (and thriving!) of non-fiction literature, this story seemed important enough to warrant a minor exception. Recommended:
​Nonfiction Publishing, Under Threat, Is More Important Than Ever | The New Republic

When I entered my PhD program, I was primarily interested in the history of the far left in American political life, notably the history of the Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA), including the reactionary attempt to squash far left politics through vehicles such as the Smith Act, loyalty oaths, or McCarthyism. I had written my Master’s thesis on John Howard Lawson, a playwright who became a leading screenwriter in the 1930s and 40s, the doyen of the Stalinist left in Hollywood, and the ringleader of the group of screenwriters and producers who would in 1947 become infamous as the “Hollywood Ten.” Through Lawson I broadened my interests into Hollywood and American cinema history. At one point I even thought I might write a dissertation on the history of American drive-ins. But all that changed in a cemetery in the small town of Amersfoort, The Netherlands. In an instant one cold December afternoon I became a diplomatic historian.

How to be a more effective writer? Well, there are emotional and psychological cadences that are important for effective writing: confidence, perseverance, perhaps courage. One must be able to tread the inevitable ebbs and flows of motivation. There are no shortcuts, and discipline is imperative. But leaving those emotional and psychological registers behind for the moment, I’m reflecting on the one piece of technical advice that I have most often offered throughout my career to the question, “How can I improve my writing?” If I could give but one answer to that question, I think it would be: Attend to your topic sentences