Getting it just write

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In an age of high-tech communications and declining newspaper sales, it may seem as if good writing is a thing of the past. Some might say it is, but a quick look at top-selling fiction, the blogosphere and television writing — or lack thereof because of the Hollywood writers strike — complicates the picture.

"I'm not ready to write the obituary on writing," says Linda Coleman, associate professor of English at the University of Maryland.

"If anything, I see an improvement among students," adds Ms. Coleman, who has been teaching linguistics for 30 years; one of her current courses entails teaching grammar to journalism students.

Bob Thompson, a pop-culture professor at Syracuse University, says the Writers Guild of America strike shows how important good writing is for television.

"In the grand scheme of things, American pop culture would be in sorry shape if you didn't have good writing," Mr. Thompson says. "Starting in the mid-'90s, we demanded good [television] writing or we were not going to make it a hit."

Think HBO's "The Sopranos" and even network shows such as "24" and "Lost."

Richard Sterling, a professor of education at the University of California at Berkeley and executive director emeritus of the National Writing Project, a professional development network for teachers of writing at all grade levels, says cutting-edge technology — contrary to what some might think — has only improved writing.

"It's very interesting, but in this era of technology, we've had a miniature explosion of writing," Mr. Sterling says. "Technology is actually promoting writing."

So, writing is not necessarily in decline; it just has found new venues?

"Yes, I would say that it's in decline in its most prototypical sense," Ms. Coleman says. "Prototypical" meaning conventional newspaper and hardcover fiction. "But people are writing elsewhere. Just look at the blogs. ... It's [exciting] because more people can self-publish and there's less mediation."