Author: William K. Zinsser

Publisher: Collins

Pub. in: May, 2006

ISBN: 0060891548

Pages: 336

Measurements: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.5

Origin of product: USA

Order code: BA00356

Other information: 30 Anv edition
ISBN-13: 978-0060891541

This book ranks #678 in Books out of millions on Amazon.com as of May 8, 2007.

"Many of us were taught that no sentence should begin with 'but.' If that's what you learned, unlearn it - there's no stronger word at the start. It announces a total contrast with what has gone before, and the reader is thereby primed for the change."

On Writing Well is possibly the best-written, most-accessible coverage of effective nonfiction writing.

The shelves of most writers and many bookstores are filled with how-to books on writing. Most of these tend to be of the spiritual or advice-giving sort: helping writers overcome blocks, feeling good about a suspicious career choice, getting published and the like. At the opposite pole, many of the rest focus on the minutiae of arcane linguistic rules. Zinsser takes on writing. In about 300 pages he tackles a broad range of subjects such as style, tone, word usage, structure, and unity, and applies these principles to various forms of nonfiction writing: the interview, the travel article, the memoir, etc.

The first one of four parts, Principles, discusses matters such as word choice and style, especially simplicity. Part two is Methods. It cites examples of good writing, and discusses the various attributes of those pieces, including an invaluable short section on grammar. The third part, Forms, includes details on how to write for specific genres. And the final part, Attitudes, addresses what I consider the writer's most valuable thing: his view of his craft.

In the first part, the author explains that the principles that make a great writer can be learned. He shows that revising does not become unnecessary, even as one progresses in the craft. The chapter includes two pages of a heavily written manuscript written by Zinsser himself. The author discourages the use of jargon, arguing that it cheapens your style. Instead, clearness and simplicity are what you should strive for.

In part two, Zinsser discusses the various methods of good writing. He first emphasizes unity, and then moves to one of the most useful section of the book-a chapter titled "Bits and Pieces." As its name suggests, this chapter comprises all the miscellaneous writing errors noticed by the author. And instead of using "25 columns of type" as Fowler does in his Modern English Usage, Zinsser explains the difference between that and which in a single page. Each section in "Bits and Pieces" is short, but that makes the chapter more useful because it doesn't take too long to read. Zinsser explains each method with grace and humor.

The third part, Forms, is the longest and seemed to me at first to be the least useful. There is a chapter about interviewing, and another about writing the memoir... Other chapters, such as "Science and Technology," were more directly pertinent to my goals, and the chapter on humor.

The final section of the book is devoted to attitudes. The author delves into the psychology of the writer when writing. He advises us to not confine ourselves to a certain field because a good writer can write about anything. He uses an example from his own experience, telling how he came to appreciate the work of a respected photographer and painter of birds by writing the man's story. Before he did this, the Zinsser had never really written a similar pieces. Next comes a chapter titled "The Tyranny of the Final Product." It discusses how some people write for a specific magazine or audience, and in doing so never allow their work to develop into something new and exciting. Finally, Zinsser tells us to write as well and with as much enthusiasm as we can-and that our efforts will be rewarded.

This book is a breath of fresh air. The author finds the practical middle ground between the bubbly motivational and dry-as-dirt grammar books that so many of us find ourselves reading when we're not writing. No small wonder that this book has gone through numerous editions since it was first published - it is an invaluable tool.

This is one of the few books you'll actually need and re-read, on your way to becoming a better writer.
- From quoting Samuel Allen

Target readers: Writers and language learners, from beginners to professionals