On Writing Well: Notes From The Book
Published in
2 min readSep 6, 2024
Here are the key points that jumped out at me while recently reading William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well. Zinsser taught writing at Yale.
- Let go of thoughts of the finished article.
- Ask yourself, “What am I trying to say? Is it clear for someone encountering the subject for the first time?”
- Use the English language in a way that achieves the great clarity and strength.
- What point do you want to make? Not two or five, but what single point do you want to convey?
- If the reader is lost, it’s probably the writer’s fault.
- Any method that helps you say what you want to say is the right method for you.
- Write for yourself, not for someone in mind — especially the masses or an editor.
- You’ll write better about subjects you care about.
- Don’t write what you wouldn’t say in a conversation.
- Avoid using clichés. Be fresh.
- Don’t use jargon. Just because a journalist, or a lawyer, or a politician uses a fancy term doesn’t mean you should. Especially if it’s not a word you would normally use in a conversation and likely don’t understand the meaning of.
- Get the meaning of words right. Including the ones that seem closely related.
- Don’t mix tense.
- Don’t mix tones or attitude in the same piece.
- Be precise and be bold. Don’t hide behind adverbs. Specific actions by specific people.
- Don’t use a long word when a shorter one is available. Don’t use long sentences when you can break it up into two or three separate sentences. Don’t use long paragraphs when shorter ones will do.
- Don’t use semi-colons. Use a period or a dash instead.
- Don’t hang onto something useless just because you think it’s beautiful.
- Writing improves as you remove words that shouldn’t be there.
- Don’t tell people why it’s interesting, or unusual. Make the point, don’t try to explain the point. Make the point self-sufficient.
- Quotes are fresher than paraphrases. Strike a balance between quotes and you.
- Look for the human element in everything you write about.
- The use of “I” is neglected too much. Don’t be afraid to write in the first person.
- You get a broader understanding of the writing process when you listen to different writers talk about their process.
- Read the writers you want to learn from.
- Remember these four rules: clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity.
- The main rule is to relax and be yourself.