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Zusammenfassung von On Writing Well

Name: On Writing Well
Rating: 4.4 (298 reviews)
Author: William Zinsser

William Zinsser

The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

4.4 (298 Bewertungen)

25 Min.

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On Writing Well
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What’s in it for me? Hone your writing skills.

Have you ever sat, frozen with fear, in front of a blank page or screen? Fiddled around on social media or reorganized your spice rack in order to avoid sitting down to write? Or maybe you suspect that you have a book, an essay, or a blog post inside you, but have no idea how to begin writing it.

Writing can definitely feel intimidating. But that doesn’t mean you can’t become a good writer. These blinks will help you conquer fear of the blank page by teaching you the principles of strong writing, from grammar and usage to structure and style.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

the secret to good writing;
how to craft compelling openings and conclusions; and
why enjoyment is key to good writing.

To write well, write simply.

Are you desirous of becoming privy to privileged information that will facilitate adept, dexterous, and proficiently written composition on your part?

Wait. Scratch that. Let’s try it again.

Do you want to know the secret to good writing? Simplicity.

The key message in this blink is: To write well, write simply.

Novice writers often try to impress. They reach for the most obscure words in their vocabulary. They jam clause upon clause into their sentences. Their nouns are weighed down with adjectives and their verbs are saddled with adverbs. The end result is usually more impenetrable than impressive. Worse, it makes it difficult for the reader to . . . well, read the writing.

When it comes to writing, adding words, clauses, or complexity can actually detract from what you’re doing. To write well, strip down each component of your sentence into its cleanest parts. Cut out words that don’t perform a function. Make long words short. Strive for simplicity.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a catch. Clear writing is only achievable through clear thinking, which is only achievable by decluttering the mind. It’s possible to hide a half-baked argument with verbiage, jargon, and waffling – just listen to any politician. But clear writing that is well-thought-out leaves the writer with nowhere to hide.

To write simply and clearly, the writer must always come back to one central question: What am I trying to say? Answering this question might be harder than she thinks, especially if she’s still working through it. And when she’s finished writing, she must ask herself another question: Have I said what I meant to say?

Next, she must ruthlessly clear the clutter from her pages so that nothing draws focus from her message. What constitutes clutter? Any word or phrase that isn’t required or doesn’t enhance the meaning of what is being written. Here are a few examples:

Redundant prepositions. Why face up to a challenge when you can simply face a challenge?

The same goes for adjectives. Why describe a personal acquaintance when, by definition, acquaintances are personal?

Edit out long words and labored word clusters. Verbiage may be in vogue in corporate contexts, but there’s no need to say currently, at the present time, or even at this juncture when a simple now will suffice. A clear sentence is easy to read. But it takes skill, thought, and practice to write one.

The secret to writing with style is finding your authentic voice.

The secret to good writing is simplicity. But maybe you’re not interested in good writing. You’re interested in great writing. You want to season your sentences with a little style – an apposite adjective here, a deliciously ironic turn of phrase there.

Writing is like building a house – the stylish elements you add at the end are often the most eye-catching. But before you think about decorative flourishes, you need a firm foundation. If you can’t pour concrete, your house’s foundation will quickly collapse. And if you haven’t mastered clear, simple sentences, then no amount of style will save your writing.

Words are a writer’s tools, so consider word choices carefully.

A craftsperson needs to choose his tools carefully. You can’t tune a piano with a wrench, or hang a picture with a crochet needle.

Well, writing is a craft. And when you write, your tools are your words. To write well, you need to choose the right words for the job, every time.

Keep it focused and keep it consistent.

A beginner decides to write a piece recounting a romantic trip she and her partner just took to Italy. The subject matter is great: pizza, pasta, and the leaning tower of Pisa. What could go wrong?

The piece starts off well. The writer is personable and approachable as she recounts all the excitement and comic mishaps of her journey. But in the second paragraph, she switches tone. She relays geographical facts and population statistics, sounding like an encyclopedia. Next, she parrots a Lonely Planet guidebook with information about which sights to prioritize and whether it's customary to tip in Roman restaurants.

Want to engage your reader? Make your beginnings and endings count.

First impressions are everything. A guy might have a wicked sense of humor, great looks, and a heart of gold, but prospective partners scrolling past his profile on a dating website might not be able to see beyond his purple fedora.

In writing, too, first impressions count. You can write an article filled with brilliant arguments, witty turns of phrase, and thought-provoking paragraphs, but with a limp first sentence, your literary masterpiece might as well be wearing a purple fedora.

Skilled writers generally polish their prose and avoid common pitfalls.

In popular culture, the writer is often portrayed as a lonesome, romantic genius. He strolls Parisian boulevards with a notebook tucked under his arm. He ducks into smoky bistros, like Hemingway, to write when inspiration strikes.

It’s a lovely image. It’s also completely false. Real writers know that the devil is in the details. You’re more likely to find them sweating over clauses than writing when the whim takes them.

If you want to inspire your reader, start by inspiring yourself.

Which do you want first – the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that if you read extensively, write clearly and consistently, and avoid common writing pitfalls, you will absolutely be able to turn out competent texts.

Don’t fixate on the finished product – embrace the process of writing!

Has this happened to you? You sit down to start working on that idea for a book you’ve been mulling over for years. But before you’ve put down the first few sentences, you’re distracted by dreams of the finished product. You picture the cover. You imagine it on the shelves in your local bookshop. You can see the glowing reviews: “Dazzling!” “Brilliant!” “A tour de force!” You even draft your acknowledgments, careful not to leave out your grandma or your third-grade English teacher.

Your dreams of the finished book are vividly fleshed out. But the book itself languishes half-written in a desk drawer.

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Worum geht es in On Writing Well?

On Writing Well (1976) by William Zinsser is an indispensable guide to the art and craft of nonfiction writing. Adapted from Zinsser’s writing course at Yale University, this handbook introduces the principles of good writing in a warm, accessible way. What’s more, it’s packed with tips, tricks, and tools for polishing prose to perfection.

Wer On Writing Well lesen sollte

Beginner writers who feel intimidated by the blank page
Storytellers who want to tame their sentences and sharpen their skills
Professionals who know that writing well is non-negotiable

Über den Autor

William Zinsser, an acclaimed journalist and essayist, authored 19 books on topics ranging from baseball to jazz. In the 1970s, Zinsser was head of Yale University’s influential writing workshop. His craft books, including On Writing Well and Writing to Learn, are regarded as classics in the genre.

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