On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

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Summary: Wonderful. Invest two hours and reap untold rewards.
Review: If writing non-fiction is an important part of your personal or professional life, reading this classic will be a sound investment. I read this book many years ago, when it was in its first edition, and its wisdom has had a profound impact on me. I can think of few experiences that have had such a demonstrably positive influence on my career (I am currently a professor of computer science). I have found Zinsser's sage advice to be applicable to writing technical papers, letters to the PTA, and virtually every other form of non-fiction.

Zinsser patiently instructs his readers on how to write about travel or science, how to conduct an interview, how to craft an effective lead and ending, and even how to get started. Along the way, Zinsser entreats us to omit clutter and cliché, strike out useless adverbs, adjectives, and qualifiers, incorporate active verbs, and strive for correct usage as well as unity of pronoun, tense, and mood. But the overriding messages are clarity, simplicity, and directness. Keep it crisp. Oh, and just like driving a car, always signal your intentions (keep that "but" at the beginning of the sentence).

Two specific pages in Zinsser's book have remained etched in my mind from the moment I took them in almost two decades ago. They comprise the most genuine and revealing demonstration I have ever seen in a book on writing. On those two pages (pages 10 and 11 in the first edition), Zinsser provides a glimpse at the penultimate draft of the very book you are reading, juxtaposed with the corresponding pages in final form; in so doing, Zinsser invites you to critically examine his own writing, while revealing something of his process. This was brilliant. Those few pages (penultimate draft plus final draft) are alone worth the price of the book.

The lessons in this comparison are profound: First, Zinsser himself practices what he professes, but more importantly, even he is prone to inflate sentences with useless verbiage. What Zinsser has beautifully illustrated is how his writing came to be so tight. It did not spring from his mind to paper in the form we see; rather, it was gradually shaped through repeated editing, much of it with the aim of removing unnecessary words. (One could say that he is more like Beethoven, who endlessly rewrote, rather than Mozart, who composed finished works in one stroke.) I immediately adopted this practice and to this day I devote several final editing passes to the removal of useless words. I can think of no other lesson that I have learned in my 22 years of formal education that has been so enduring and consistently useful.

In the past decade I have recommended this book to each of my graduate students, and nearly all of my colleagues; at times I have simply purchased a copy and presented it to them. Of course, such a gesture can be taken the wrong way. It needn't imply that one's writing is in desperate need of repair, but rather that the content is worthy of concise expression. It was in the latter spirit that I shared Zinsser's book with my students and colleagues, and I believe all have gained from it.

Do yourself a life-long favor and read this wonderful book. It won't take long, yet its lessons might forever change the way you write. Your readers will benefit, and you will benefit.

Rating:
Summary: The Good Book on Writing Well
Review: On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, is one of the best on great advise. To me it's my bible for the makings of a good writer. It's style is well presented and easy to read. It's laid out for everyone who wants to learn how to write. It even helps those who need an extra boost in getting a writing job done. Especially in our age of the Internet. If you're writing about any subject from people, business, places, arts you name it, this book will assist you in the fundamentals of the written language. Written by William Zinsser who also wrote 'Writing to Learn' is a master at writing. He's has written for the New York Herald Tribune and write for leading magazines. Adding to his credits he wrote 'Mitchell & Ruff', about jazz musicians Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff and recently, 'Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs.'

Topics covered in this are the principles of the transaction in using the English language to achieve the greatest clarity and strength. Most important rule is the one of simplicity. Clutter is a killer. Remember the KISS rule. Keep It Simple Smartypants! Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Style is important. Sell yourself, and your subject will express it's own appeal. Get to know your audience. For example E. B. White could write about anything and make it sound good. Even if it was chickens! For words, what could we do without them? The end of civilization in catastrophic propostions, right? Invest in a good dictionary, book of synonyms, a thesaurus and 'The Elements of Style.' Words are the only tools you got. Use them with originality and care. Always remember that somebody's out there listening. The book is chalk ful of such useful advice my review couldn't squeeze them all in. If you want the step in the write direction, I'd highly recommend this. You'll be using this and the "Elements of Style' book by Strunk & White. I know I am.

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Summary: It has a useful message, but it's not inspired
Review: As of late, I have become much more critical of the books that I read. I expect more. And while this is a perfectly good book, and able to teach several valuable lessons to a writer, it is not a great book. "Elements of Style" is better, and shorter. This book covers a lot of material, but comes short of teaching how to write well. What it does do is teach you how to avoid being a bad writer. Perhaps that is useful for some people, but I like to think that I am beyond that point. What I really wanted to learn was how to write well. I want to know what it means to be a talented writer and how to powerfully express the thoughts that are bubbling up through me. And that is the one thing this book cannot do. I think that is perhaps because the author himself, while a good writer, is not a talented writer. He instead focuses on good journalism, etc, and while valuable, not what I was looking for.
Ultimately, if you want to become a talented writer, you will study actual works of great authors. Read Dickens to learn how to describe something. Don't even bother reading the story; I find Dickens tedious. But the lessons are invaluable. And from Isaac Asimov I learned dialogue. You can probably find an author for every aspect of writing.

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Summary: Graceful, Witty, Focused and Highly Educational
Review: I just read On Writing Well from cover to cover with a speed and relish that I remember last experiencing as I devoured The Hobbit for the first time when I was 12. The impressive thing about this book with a potentially very technical subject, is that it's an un-put-downable read even for someone barely interested in the art or science of writing. (Zinsser would argue that its mostly science and a little bit of art...)

The author presents a methodical approach to creating, polishing and, most importantly, breathing life into almost any piece of nonfiction you are interested in trying your hand at. His most effective device is the host of specimens of exemplary writing that he illustrates his points with. I take that back - his most effective device is that his book itself is an exemplary specimen of what he is preaching.

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Summary: Priceless!
Review: Zinsser's book is a must read for all writers! His how to do approach is not only useful, it's interesting to read too. The writing advice in this book is priceless regardless of what topic you choose to write on. I will try to read this book once a year and will refer to it often as I write. His style is humorous and lasting, yet remains simple and easy to understand. "On Writing Well" is truly a gift for all writers. Highly recommened.

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Summary: Practical
Review: No nonsense guide to the art of writing. Witty, humorous and straightforward, no fluffy wordisms that plague the writing of today. Loved it.

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Summary: "On Writing Well" well written
Review: I first read the 2nd edition of this book in the early 80's, when it had 2 parts, and an excellent book at that time. Now, with 4 parts, it is even better with additional material and re-written information. The book itself is an example of writing well, giving you the impression you're participating in an informal discussion with the author. It is a must read for any aspiring writer and a re-read for the published writer. It's just one of those books you bring down off the shelf every once in a while.

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Summary: A Must for Anyone Who Puts Pen to Paper or Hands to Keyboard
Review: I bought this book in order to refine my skills in writing Bible studies. I only wish I had read it earlier. This book should be used everywhere from high school classrooms to corporate offices. If you are going to write, buy this book.

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Summary: An excellent writing resource
Review: This book is an excellent resource for writers. I wouldn't be without my copy. I have many writing books in my library, but this is the one I go back to and reread most often. It includes teaching on style and grammar, and has many tips, but I read it mostly now for inspiration and encouragement. If I could recommend only one book for new writers, this would be it.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for any writer.
Review: This writer not only tells you how to write well, he shows you. I found the book sitting on one of my mother's many book shelves. As I began to read I soon found it hard to set down, so I didn't. It is not only educational but humourous, and a great example of how to grab your reader and carry them along; without putting them to sleep or loosing them along the way.