On Writing Well, my take on William Zinsser's classic

By Mayra CuevasThe next three posts will highlight books that have helped me during the process of composing my first novel.I will begin with “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser, and oldie but goodie that is as relevant today as it was in 1976 when it was first published.Although Zinsser’s book is a guide to writing nonfiction, his principles can help the fiction writer achieve a more succinct and clean prose that is both practical and colorful.Zinsser is a master at uncluttering prose. And he teaches how to distill the writer’s message to its purest form.Zinsser describes writing as a “personal transaction” between the author and the reader resulting in two special qualities: humanity and warmth.“Good writing has an aliveness that keeps the reader reading from one paragraph to the next, and it’s not a question of gimmicks to “personalize” the author. It’s a question of using the English language in a way that will achieve the greatest clarity and strength,” Zinsser explains.Simplicity and ClutterHerein lies what to me was Zinsser’s main message: simple is better.“Clutter is the disease of American writing,” he says. “The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”Zinsser encourages the writer to eliminate unnecessary words, such as:-long words that have a short equivalent-adverbs that mean the same as the verbs they describe-confusing passive constructions-prepositions in front of verbs that need no helpZinsser advocates clear writing that makes it easy for the reader to keep reading. Studies show the attention span of readers is decreasing and authors today compete with a plethora of electronic devices for the reader’s attention. Zinsser explains it is up to the author to make it as easy as possible for the reader to follow the story.But how can clear writing be achieved? “Clear thinking becomes clear writing,” he explains, “thinking clearly is a conscious act that writers must force on themselves, as if they were working on any other project that requires logic: making a shopping list or doing an algebra problem.”StyleZinsser describes the fundamental rule of style in two words: “be yourself.”He explains that achieving your style as a writer “requires a writer to do two things that by their metabolism are impossible. They must relax, and they must have confidence.”Zinsser closely links style to psyche and our ability to express ourselves with confidence.“Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it. Use its energy to keep yourself going,” he says.Audience“You are writing for yourself,” with this statement Zinsser answers the fundamental question “Who am I writing for?”He discourages writers from visualizing “the great mass audience,” explaining that such an audience is non-existent and every reader is different.“You are writing primarily to please yourself, and if you go about it with enjoyment you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for. If you lose the dullards back in the dust, you don’t want them anyway,” he says.Zinsser warns about the difference between attitude and craft. He says there is no excuse for losing readers because of lacking writing skills or technical details. However there is little to be done about readers who simply do not like your style.Words and UnityZinsser emphasizes the appropriate usage of words and the considerations of sound and rhythm into everything you write“Also bear in mind, when you’re choosing words and stringing them together, how they sound. This may seem absurd: readers read with their eyes. But in fact they hear what they are reading far more than you realize,” he says.In Zinsser’s point of view writing is learned both by imitation and by consistent writing.“Make a habit of reading what is being written today and what was written by earlier masters. Writing is learned by imitation. If anyone asked me how I learned to write, I’d say I learned by reading the men and women who were doing the kind of writing I wanted to do and trying to figure out how they did it,” he says.“The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis,” he says.I have found Zinsser’s advice to be timeless. I picked up “On Writing Well” a few months ago after reading about it in an online course offered by the Poynter Institute. It is an inspiring book filled with practical advice for writers of all levels of experience. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today.For more on “On Writing Well” or William Zinsser go to his webpage: http://www.williamzinsserwriter.comDo you have a writing book that you have found helpful? Write a recommendation below and tell us why it helped.