About Mark Twain
Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), an American writer and humorist. He is best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and he also wrote travel books, satire, lectures and many essays.
Mark Twain’s writing style
Twain writes in a plain American voice built on short declarative sentences and everyday words. He often opens with an anecdote and then turns it into a general argument. His humor relies on understatement and deadpan exaggeration, and his essays frequently aim it at conformity and self-deception.
Practice Mark Twain’s essays
1 essay
How to write like Mark Twain
Pick one of Mark Twain’s essays and retype it word for word. Copying slows you down enough to notice how each sentence is built: where it starts, how long it runs and which words carry the weight. Keep the style notes above in mind as you type, then write a paragraph of your own in the same voice. New to this? Read what copywork is and how to do it.