About Me

Hi. I’m Kim Clark. I spent more than 40 years as a staff writer for newspapers such as the Baltimore Sun, and magazines such as Money, Fortune, and Kiplinger Personal Finance, mostly covering finance and education (and especially the financial realities of higher education.) I also spent 4-1/2 years as an assistant (and eventually, deputy,) director of the Education Writers Association, where I provided training, resources and support to journalists who cover higher education. As of 2025, I have become an independent journalist. (My full resume of publications and awards can be found on my LinkedIn page.)

 

I love reporting! But writing is hard for me. One writing tasks that I struggled with was crafting powerful, memorable endings, or, as journalists call them, kickers. 

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So I have spent a lot of time studying the article endings I liked the best, and trying to figure out how other people came up with good kickers. This site summarizes some of the techniques and tools I've developed to help myself. I hope they help you too.