on writing well william zinsser sparknotes

Don’t try to guess what sort of thing editors want to publish or what you think the country is in a mood to read. There is no such audience- every reader is a different person. Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. “Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. “But I’ve also noticed a new reason for avoiding “I”: Americans are unwilling to go out on a limb.” “Most first drafts can be cut by 50 percent without losing any information or losing the author’s voice.” “Don’t inflate what needs no inflating: “with the possible exception of” (except), “due to the fact that” (because), “he totally lacked the ability to” (he couldn’t), “until such time as” (until), “for the purpose of” (for).” If he had his own kid in the chair he would say, “Does it hurt?”” Even your dentist will ask if you are experiencing any pain. ““Experiencing” is one of the worst clutterers. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.” Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn’t be there. A small detail, you may say- not worth bothering about. We face up to them when we can free up a few minutes. “Consider all the prepositions that are draped onto verbs that don’t need any help. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Then they must look at what they have written and ask: have I said it?” “Writers must therefore constantly ask: what am I trying to say? Surprisingly often they don’t know. Today they also include a galaxy of electronic devices for receiving entertainment and information- television, VCRs, DVDs, CDs, video games, the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, BlackBerries, iPods- as well as a fitness program, a pool, a lawn and that most potent of competitors, sleep.” At one time those forces were relatively few: newspapers, magazines, radio, spouse, children, pets. “The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds- a person assailed by many forces competing for attention. “Clear thinking becomes clear writing one can’t exist without the other.” But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.” The sentence is too simple- there must be something wrong with it.

“The airline pilot who announces that he is presently anticipating experiencing considerable precipitation wouldn’t think of saying it may rain. I pointed out that professional writers rewrite their sentences over and over and then rewrite what they have rewritten.” “I then said that rewriting is the essence of writing.

On writing well william zinsser sparknotes