A Guide to Good Writing
Advice from William Zinsser
William Zinsser’s On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction has sold over 1.5 million copies. First published in 1976, it’s 7th revised and updated edition came out in 2006.
Zinsser, who died in 2015 at 92 years old after writing 17 books, argued for clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity. His book remains the classic “how to write” book. And it’s a delight to read. (By contrast, imagine sitting down in your comfy armchair to read The Chicago Manual of Style.)
Zinsser tells you how to write without being rule-bound, stuffy, and boring. And he tells stories along the way so you’re learning while being entertained. (More writers should follow this style!) He gives you basic principles and methods in addition to how to write in specific genres: interviews, travel articles, memoirs, science and technology, business writing, sports, the arts, and even humor.
Write what you know and what you’re passionate about, what you’re interested in even if you aren’t an expert. Never forget that writing has a beginning, a middle and an end. Reminds me of the saying: “Tell ’em what you’re gonna tell ’em. Tell ’em. Then tell ’em what you just told ’em.” Or as our teachers instructed: Introduction, body, conclusion. Use contractions: I’d versus I would, You’re versus you are.
Write in complete paragraphs. “No” to one-sentence paragraphs. I laughed at his examples — keep in mind his latest edition is 14 years old. His “short” paragraphs are often 8–9 lines in what appears to be 9 pt. font.
I wonder about paragraph lengths in serious writing today. I grab what I’m currently reading, Chopin’s Piano: In Search of the Instrument that Transformed Music (2018). Despite its title, it’s readable, not overly academic, and has pictures scattered throughout. Paragraphs are of varying lengths, many 10–12 lines long. Some longer.
Lesson: Paragraphs are complete thoughts or single ideas explained and sometimes elaborated on.
Avoid abstractions: Compare “The common reaction is incredulous laughter” to “Most people just laugh with disbelief.” Use a specific noun and avoid using “is” and “are.”
Always rewrite your first draft. Read what you write out loud. In addition to picking up mistakes you may have missed, you’ll discover how your piece “sounds.” Odd as it may seem, readers “hear” what you’ve written as much as seeing your writing.
My favorite from Zinsser is “write for yourself.” We are often told to visualize our audience — as if we could get into the mind of our readers whom we don’t know. Write with your personality, your voice.
Years ago I made money as a ghost writer. One educator for whom I wrote newsletters, blog posts, and eBooks commented that my writing sounded just as if she’d written it. I replied that is what she paid me for. My job was to “sound” like her.
Readers come back to your writing because of your particular voice, often more than the subject you’re writing about. I have readers who read everything I write even if they aren’t interested in the subject.
I have subscribed to The New Yorker for years. Every week when it arrives in the mailbox, I look for writing from Jill Lepore, Alex Ross, and David Remnick. They’re my faves. Doesn’t mean I won’t read other articles. And doesn’t mean I find everything they write of interest. But more often, I so resonate with their writing that I’ll find a piece fascinating even though I knew nothing about the topic when I started reading.
If you want to become a better writer, grab a copy of William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.
