On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (On Writing Well)

Everyone can write, and everyone has to write. There is something magical about putting that abstract dream onto the concreteness of writing. The printing press and the internet revolutionized the world because it democratized information. Everyone had a chance to share their voice and to learn from others. You owe it to yourself to be the best writer you can be.

A Stanford English professor recommended this book to me. She was the first authority who told me I had a gift for writing, and said I would be a best-selling author. I have this book, and her, to thank for my abilities.

"Ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is."
"Writing and learning and thinking are the same process."

"Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity."

"Writing is thinking on paper."

"Mencken was never timid or evasive; he didn't kowtow to the reader or curry anyone's favor. It takes courage to be such a writer, but it is out of such courage that revered and influential journalists are born."

I've read several books on writing recently, and this one is the most engaging of them all. I couldn't help but smile as a read--a sure sign the author is doing a great job. Buy this book if you want to become a better writer.

This book done taught me to write more better. :-) Seriously, I love this book. I have not looked at it since graduating more than a decade ago, and I purchased it expecting to brush up on the basics. It offers much more and is an engaging read. It has replaced novels on my bedside table for my evening unwind reading. It's a must-have.

I love that Zinsser includes a draft with his edits on it. He advocates the sparcity of writing. Remove all excess words. Clean, crisp, clear. Prune ruthlessly.
He does not romanticise writing, but enables you to just get on with it, and then severely edit to remove all extraneous material (like the latter phrase!)

Some key points I enjoyed:
- "If your job is to write every day, you learn to do it like any other job."

- The reader has an attention span of 30 seconds. Don't make them word too hard. What do you want to say? Have you said it?

- Be yourself. Relax and have confidence. Find the interesting and describe it. Leave out the mundane. Be curious. The truth is interesting. Write what you care about.

- "You learn to write by writing. Force yourself to produce words on a regular basis."

- Think small. Choose your section and cover it well. The detail matters.

- "Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it's where the game is won or lost."

He urges the power of being real, and writing your truth in the brilliance of this quote "Try to commit an act of writing and your readers will jump overboard to get away".

You don't need to be a literary genius. Just get on with it (and then prune it!)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SOY5891YP5FI This is by far the best book on writing any kind of non-fiction. He encourages you to be clear, and gives practical tips and instruction so that you feel that you know what good writing looks like. I'd also recommend Bird By Bird by Lamott for fiction writers, or anyone who needs moral support for the writing process.