Customer Reviews

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

With three sentences, William Zinsser became my new hero:

"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."

In my years as a freelance writer, no single word has been the cause of as many arguments with inexperienced editors and know-it-all clients as the tiny "but." Finally, I hold in my hands the opinion of a recognized authority (one who has served on the usage panel of "The American Heritage Dictionary") who can put an end to this quibbling.

But this isn't all that recommends this book. "On Writing Well" is possibly the best-written, most-accessible coverage of effective nonfiction writing that I have ever seen. The shelves of most writers (including my own) 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 300 pages (which in themselves serve as an admirable example of effective prose) 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.

A breath of fresh air, this. 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.

Take down your bookshelves and put up a framed portrait of Mr. Zinsser. This is one of the few books you'll actually need (and re-read) on your way to becoming a better writer.

When I opened this book the first time, I fancied myself a good writer. I had just landed a job as a copywriter, and I felt pretty good about myself. Then my boss walked into my office and dropped a copy of Zinsser's classic on my desk. "This is your first assignment," he said. So I read.

What a revelation! According to Zinsser, I was guilty of a multitude of sins: clutter, fuzzy thinking, poor usage, passive verbs, you name it. So I repented, and now I'm a disciple.

This book is as engaging as it is instructive. It's so easy to read and understand, you can't help but improve. It spells out everything that's wrong most people's writing, then provides simple solutions. You'll cut pounds of fat from your writing. Your sentences will sparkle and your paragraphs will dance. Best of all, your readers will read, not groan.

The book is billed for writers of nonfiction, but its benefits extend to all writers. If you enjoy writing, even if you hate to write but find yourself in a profession that demands it, this book will vastly improve your work. It should grace every writer's bookshelf, right next to Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" and Kilpatrick's "The Writer's Art."

Before I read William Zinsser's book On Writing Well, I was notaware that any book that deals with such thorny issues as grammar andword choice could be fun and entertaining. But Zinsser's book destroys the stereotype-it teaches great writing while being humorous.

The first 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 what I consider 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 made me laugh out loud. But I came to understand the value of reading about other forms of the craft of writing as well as my own-it showed me that my own focus is just a small part of the whole. I came to appreciate the care put into news stories that use interviews; reading about it was no waste of time.

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. He ends the final chapter with a powerful message: if we don't write as well as we can, we may disappoint our readers.

Before reading On Writing Well, I already had come to value simplicity over complexity and brevity over verbosity. But Zinsser's tips helped me refine my ideas and approach. I also found valuable the explanations of the process a writer takes: what he thinks as he organizes his work, as he uses his voice. Writing is a craft; great writing follows patterns. Zinsser's On Writing Well traces these patterns out, and makes an invaluable guide. It is worthy of your bookcase if you write and want to write more well.

'On Writing Well' is THE book for serious writers -- begining or experienced -- and should be required reading for all journalists.

As editor of two weekly newspapers, I keep a copy of 'On Writing Well' at my office and require that new writers read it and buy their own copy. It doesn't take much prompting.

The text covers virtually all aspects of good, strong journalsim in an easy-to-understand format. From humor -- the toughest form of writing in a serious news format -- to hard news, Zinsser's often-reprinted work is a must.

Although geared toward non-fiction, the book covers creative writing and developing a 'style' well. Too many writers try for style before they find substance. Zinsser clearly explains why that's a bad idea.

Forget all the 'best of' books and buy this one. There's more useful information in each chapter of 'On Writing Well' than in entire volumes of many other like books.

After 11 years in the business, a copy of the book remains in the smallest room in my house. I've probably read it over 100 times and each read turns up something fresh in the text, helping to improve my own skills.

'On Writing Well' should be part of college courses along with the Associated Press Style Book. I reference it almost as often.

If writers want to improve, or those who want to be writers want to know how to break into the business, this is the book.

John Lowman, Editor Texas Press Association

When one of my professors handed back an essay he marked it all in red. It was then I knew I needed improve my writing style. My professor emphasized the importance of using the correct word in the correct situation, writing what is really meant, and getting rid of all useless word clutter. When I found this book on amazon.com, I was delighted, but I wasn't sure what to exactly expect. To my surprise, Zinsser emphasizes the exact same principles my Humanities professor did (yet they had never been emphasized in any prior class)!

Zinsser gives extremely practical advice about writing, in a very flowing and interesting style. One important thing he stresses is that to write well, one has to *work at it*. I was used to sitting down and expecting the words just to flow. Now when I write, I take the time to use the principles Zinsser outlines. This is one of those books that I have highlighted nearly every line in. The whole book is very useful for the professional and novice writer. I don't think I would ever be without it. The interview section was particularly helpful when I needed to do one for a church newsletter. There should be something for everyone who wants to write about places, sports, science, business, or memoirs (there is a chapter on each).

This book will be of particular help to me when I go to graduate school next year. Then I will especially need to be able to organize my thoughts and write in a clear and concise manner. Overall I cannot stop stressing how important this book has been in improving my writing style.

Unlike other guides I have read, this book is easy to understand and apply. Other guides impose strict planning and other techniques on the writer. Using numerous examples, Zinsser illustrates the pitfalls common in writing and provides guidelines to clear and precise writing. Practicing what he preaches, the entire book is simple, clear and precise. I would recommend this book to anyone who writes - for school, work or leisure.

This book rates just three stars - and those are more for its illustrative content rather than style instruction.

The numerous Zinsser fans I see represented among the Amazon reviewers lead me to suspect that perhaps this is not his most effective book. I found many of Zinnser's asides entertaining, particularly the narrative describing a trip to Timbuktu and the experience of Bedouin lifestyle; but as examples intended to help me better my own writing I rate them only fair. I did not find them overbearingly political as another reviewer has commented. The style advice in the first few chapters was marginally helpful, but my suspicion is that Zinsser tried to cover too much ground with too few pages.

Of course, as this very review shows, I'm no great shakes as a writer. However, for the starting writer who wants one or two good initial book purchases, I would recommend two other books that inspired me a bit more than this one did. First, Strunk & White's _The Elements of Style_ is the best style manual around (page for page.) As soon as I actually started reading it (after getting over the memories of having to buy this in college) its genius became apparent. Second, for sheer, irreverent essay writing inspiration, _Sin Boldly!_ by David R. Williams is a winner. Start with these two, and you'll be primed for more!

This book was easy to read and full of useful information, with a comprehensive index. After I finished reading, I radically edited a piece I'd just written. The wordiness was cut out, the point was made clearer and it read more smoothly. The cover says the book is the classic guide to writing non-fiction; though I think the advice applies equally well to fiction.

On Writing Well is split into four parts. The first, Principles, deals with the mechanics of writing. Zinsser is insistent that you strip the clutter from your writing. Part two is Methods, advising consistency of tone and tense, and the importance of strong beginnings and endings. Part three looks in detail at types of writing (humour, memoir, science, business etc.). The final part looks at attitudes, how we approach our writing and our unique writing.

Zinsser says: "My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing, is me. And your commodity is you."

Probably the best advice from Zinsser was about rewriting until the piece is as good as you can get it. I wrote the first draft of this review by hand, to force at least one rewrite as I typed it up. What you're reading now is the fourth draft, and it's much better than the first was. This is an excellent book I think everyone can learn from.

Since I've endeavored to follow my dream over the past three years to write a novel and my memoirs, I've purchased several books on writing. If there's anything that I can't stand, it's to read something that just doesn't hold my attention or is downright boring. And believe me, I've purchased a few books like that too. But (and Zinsser says it's okay to start a sentence with BUT), I caught a post on Writers Net that made mention of William Zinsser's book about writing nonfiction. I don't buy a book now without checking it out first. I'll have to admit that I was quite impressed with the reviews posted for Zinsser's book. I ordered it. I'm still patting myself on the back and wish I'd ordered the book three years ago when I first started writing. The first chapter in the book had me grinning from ear to ear. Thus,the first thing that came to my mind was "the man's got style". By the time I'd finished reading this book, I knew the man had a lot more going for him than just style. Any writing instructor that manages to write a "how to" book, and still make the book an enjoyable read, definitely has my respect. But (I love this) more than being an enjoyable read, it was an informative read. I highlight important information of a instruction book in bright yellow. Zinsser's book looked like a coloring book on the inside after I'd finished reading it. I'll place this book on my desk for quick reference in the future. I recommend it to anyone who is just starting out or has already made it in the literary world. Zinsser gets my vote as one of the very best in giving good writing instructors.

When my mother bought me this book, I was 17 and too busy with being 17 to bother to read it. But I pulled it out the summer before starting journalism school and laughed the whole way through. Zinsser knows exactly how writers look when they write -- he knows the glassy-eyed expression of writer's block, the sudden sensation of thirst that seems to hit every few minutes, "forcing" the writer once again away from the typewriter to the watercooler. He knows we procrastinate, because he knows we suffer. His book is like a forgiving uncle guiding us back to the keyboard and coaxing us to try again.

That first worn and rough-edged copy of Zinsser's book is now on my desk at work. When I'm stuck or I've been heading to the watercooler too often, it's there. I don't have to look up certain sections, such as "Usage" or "Style." I just open it to any page and start reading. That's how clearly Zinsser's lessons come through. Anyone serious about ! writing must read this book. Skip the rest.