On Writing Well: Sound Advice for Writers of All Shapes and Sizes

One of the first books I ever read about writing was William Zinsser's On Writing Well, and good thing too because it taught me that books on writing could be fascinating, gripping, informative, and deep in ways that go far beyond simple grammar and punctuation.Zinsser, a teacher along with being a writer and editor, covers a lot of territory in the book, over a wide variety of writing styles. It was great to be able to pick and choose the pieces that meant the most to me in the moment---and to make plans to come back again later on to grab the new parts that resonate with me.

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

The following are excerpts taken from William Zinsser's On Writing Well. Bold and italics are mine.

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There are all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods, and any method that helps you to say what you want to say is the right method for you.--Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard.--"Who am I writing for?"...You are writing for yourself. Don't try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience---every reader is a different person. Don't try to guess what sort of things editors want to publish or what you think the country is in a mood to read. Editors and readers don't know what they want to read until they read it. Besides, they're always looking for something new.--Liberal in accepting new words and phrases, conservative in grammar.--I've often found that the hares who write for the paper are overtaken by the tortoises who move studiously toward the goal of mastering the craft. ... Forget the competition and go at your own pace. Your only contest is with yourself.--

"You must learn by imitation. I could have been arrested for imitating Lardner in my pieces in the late 1920s---not the content, but the manner. These influences gradually fall away."

J. Perelman--There's no law that says humor has to make a point. Pure nonsense is a joy forever, as Keats didn't quite say. I love to see a writer flying high, just for the hell of it.--You can buy the book here. :)