Summary of William Zinsser's On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 A school in Connecticut held a panel discussion about writing as a vocation and avocation. Dr. Brock, a surgeon, was going to talk about writing as an avocation. I told him that writing was not easy and not fun, but it was hard and lonely.
#2 The writing process is a personal one, and it’s difficult to find the real person behind the tension. But ultimately, the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who they are.
#3 Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon. To clear our heads of clutter, we must practice clear thinking and clear writing.
#4 The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds. They are constantly being attacked by many forces competing for their attention. The writer must ask: What am I trying to say. Very few sentences come out right the first time or even the third time.

Sujets

• Communication organisationnelle
• Général
• Business communication

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 20 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669355557
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on William Zinsser's On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

A school in Connecticut held a panel discussion about writing as a vocation and avocation. Dr. Brock, a surgeon, was going to talk about writing as an avocation. I told him that writing was not easy and not fun, but it was hard and lonely.

#2

The writing process is a personal one, and it’s difficult to find the real person behind the tension. But ultimately, the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who they are.

#3

Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon. To clear our heads of clutter, we must practice clear thinking and clear writing.

#4

The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds. They are constantly being attacked by many forces competing for their attention. The writer must ask: What am I trying to say. Very few sentences come out right the first time or even the third time.

#5

Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing. It is typical of hundreds of words that can be eliminated. The personal friend has come into the language to distinguish him or her from the business friend, thereby debasing both language and friendship.

#6

The language of clutter is used by corporations to hide their mistakes. It is the official language of the Pentagon, and it is used to justify the vast budgets needed to fight wars.

#7

You can develop the same eye to recognize clutter in your writing. Look for the clutter, and prune it ruthlessly. Be grateful for everything you can throw away.

#8

The writer must be himself. If he tries to add style, he will lose what makes him unique. The reader wants the person talking to them to sound genuine, so a fundamental rule is to be yourself.

#9

Relaxing is difficult, and even the most experienced writers have days when they feel like giving up. But it is important to remember that writing is an intimate transaction between two people, and it will go well if it retains its humanity.

#10

Americans are becoming more and more afraid to reveal who they are, and this is especially true when it comes to writing. We are a society that fears going out on a limb, and thus we avoid using I.

#11

Leaders who are unable to make clear statements do not inspire confidence or deserve it. The same thing is true of writers. Admit your own identity and opinions, and use the energy to keep yourself going.

#12

You must write for yourself and not worry about whether the reader will get it if you indulge a sudden impulse for humor. 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.

#13

When you write, be yourself. If you're not a person who says indeed or moreover, or who calls someone an individual, don't write it. Let your passions and your crotchets be seen by others, regardless of whether they share them or not.

#14

The American journalist H. L. Mencken was very different from White in terms of style, but they were brothers in their opinions and their willingness to say what they thought. Mencken was extremely controversial, but he was the most influential journalist of his generation.

#15

The secret of Mencken’s popularity was that he was writing for himself and didn’t care what the reader thought. It takes courage to be such a writer, but it is out of such courage that revered and influential journalists are born.

#16

The seemingly artless style of writing ideal for Herndon’s purpose is actually ideal for his own purposes. It avoids the pretentiousness that infects so much writing by people doing worthy work.

#17

The death of freshness in writing is called journalese. It’s a mixture of cheap words, made-up words, and clichés that have become so pervasive that a writer can hardly help using them. You must fight these phrases or you’ll sound like every hack.

#18

Read what is being written today and what was written by earlier masters. Writing is learned by imitation. If anyone asked you how you learned to write, you would say you learned by reading the men and women who were doing the type of writing you wanted to do and trying to figure out how they did it.

#19

When you are choosing words and stringing them together, consider how they sound. Good writers of prose must be part poet, always listening to what they write.

#20

The question of who is allowed to use new words was confronted in the 1960s by the editors of a new dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary. They assembled a Usage Panel to help them appraise the new words and dubious constructions.

#21

The guardians of usage are only half doing their job if they simply keep the language from becoming sloppy. They must also help the language grow by welcoming any immigrant that will bring strength or color.