On Writing Well book cover

Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 30th anniversary ed. HarperCollins, 2006.

My Review: 5/5

Wish I had read this book as I fumbled my way through my writing journey. It plainly answers so many questions from my early attempts at nonfiction writing. Notably, why I write, why some books go on the bookshelf, and others I just can’t finish. Writing is a skill to be practiced and learned, and this book contains many pointers worth a review.

Zinsser1 has a chapter for everyone’s writing style. Whether you’re writing a memoir or a sports page, the goal is to hook the reader and communicate your thoughts as effectively as possible. Another truism: Write for yourself; an audience will follow. Still true in today’s AI spam-filled world, good writing is like a great meal. Filling and appreciated.

I think the most important takeaway is that reading your writing aloud is one way to identify clunky language. Brevity is a must, cliches must go. And, fun fact, I have painted so many gallons of Zinsser primer, yet I didn’t make the connection until the author did so for me.

Significant Revisions

Footnotes

  1. https://www.zinsserprimers.com Feels like they should have a footnote to their successful son. ↩