Lessons from William Zinsser

William Zinsser, the celebrated author of "On Writing Well," has left an indelible mark on writers and journalists with his timeless advice on the craft. His teachings emphasize clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity.

On the Principles of Good Writing

"The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components." [1][2] This is one of Zinsser's most famous maxims, advocating for the removal of all unnecessary words.
"Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon." [1][3] Zinsser urges writers to fight against the tendency to overcomplicate their prose.
"Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other." [3][4] He believed that muddled writing is a sign of muddled thinking.
"Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity." [1][4] These four pillars form the foundation of his writing philosophy.
"Hard writing makes easy reading. Easy writing makes hard reading." [1][4] This quote highlights the effort required to produce prose that is effortless for the reader to understand.
"Writing is thinking on paper. Anyone who thinks clearly should be able to write clearly-about any subject at all." [1][4] Zinsser demystified the writing process, linking it directly to the process of thinking.
"Less is more." [2][3] This concise statement encapsulates his philosophy of brevity.
"Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose." [1][3] He encouraged a ruthless approach to self-editing.
"Be grateful for every word you can cut." [1][4] This reflects the satisfaction a writer should feel in making their writing more concise.
"If the nails are weak, your house will collapse. If your verbs are weak and your syntax is rickety, your sentences will fall apart." [3][4] Zinsser stressed the importance of strong verbs and solid sentence structure.

On the Writing Process

"Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it's where the game is won or lost." [3][5] He taught that the real work of writing happens during the revision process.
"Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair." [3][5] This is a comforting reminder for writers struggling with their drafts.
"You learn to write by writing. It's a truism, but what makes it a truism is that it's true. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis." [3][5] He was a strong advocate for consistent practice.
"A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing." [4] A humorous but relatable observation about the common writer's tendency towards procrastination.
"You won't write well until you understand that writing is an evolving process, not a finished product." [6][7] This learning encourages writers to embrace the iterative nature of their craft.
"I don't like to write; I like to have written. But I love to rewrite." [3] This quote captures the often arduous nature of drafting and the joy of refining one's work.
"Dare to tell the smallest of stories if you want to generate large emotions." [1][6] Zinsser advised that focusing on specific, small-scale narratives can have a powerful emotional impact.
"When you're ready to stop, stop. If you have presented all the facts and made the point you want to make, look for the nearest exit." [1][8] A crucial piece of advice on the importance of a concise and impactful ending.
"The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead." [4][7] He emphasized the critical role of a strong opening to hook the reader.
"Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own." [1][9] This learning highlights writing as a tool for understanding and learning.

On Voice and Style

"Ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is." [1] Zinsser believed that a writer's unique personality is their greatest asset.
"Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions." [5][7] He encouraged writers to be confident and to let their authentic selves shine through in their work.
"I almost always urge people to write in the first person. Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it." [3][5] This is a call for writers to embrace their own perspective and voice.
"Never say anything in writing that you wouldn't comfortably say in conversation." [3][5] This helps writers to maintain a natural and authentic tone.
"When we say we like the style of certain writers, what we mean is that we like their personality as they express it on paper." [1] This quote further emphasizes the connection between a writer's style and their personality.
"There is no style store; style is organic to the person doing the writing; therefore a fundamental rule is: be yourself." [10] Style, according to Zinsser, is not something that can be bought or faked.
"Never hesitate to imitate another writer. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art or a craft." [4][11] He saw imitation as a valuable learning tool for developing one's own style.
"My voice matters. So does yours." [12] A powerful and encouraging learning for aspiring writers to value their own unique perspective.
"Don't be kind of bold. Be bold." [2][3] He urged writers to be confident and decisive in their prose.
"Don't hedge your prose with little timidities." [2][3] This is a warning against using weak and noncommittal language.

On the Writer's Mindset

"Writing is a craft, not an art, and that the man who runs away from his craft because he lacks inspiration is fooling himself." [3][6] Zinsser viewed writing as a skill to be honed through diligent practice rather than waiting for moments of inspiration.
"If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard." [3][5] A simple yet profound statement that validates the struggles many writers face.
"You are writing for yourself. Don't try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person." [1][3] This advice encourages writers to focus on their own standards and interests.
"To defend what you've written is a sign that you are alive." [1][4] This speaks to the passion and conviction a writer should have for their work.
"Writing is a powerful search mechanism, and one of its satisfactions is to come to terms with your life narrative." [2][3] He saw writing as a way to explore and understand one's own life.
"Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it." [2][3] A straightforward and motivational mantra for taking action.
"You can't stop and ask, 'Is the reader going to like what I'm writing about, or like me?' You just have to have the ego to go for it and do what you want to do." [13] This reinforces the idea of writing for oneself first and foremost.
"Every time you look at a blank piece of paper, you're doing something new. You have to step onto that blank territory and remind yourself the sky didn't fall in the last time you wrote." [13] A piece of encouragement for overcoming the fear of the blank page.
"Writing is a question of overcoming your fears—and everybody has them." [13] Zinsser acknowledged that fear is a universal part of the writing experience.
"I have always believed you can almost will things to happen. You just have to hustle yourself and your talent." [13] This quote speaks to the importance of proactivity and determination in a writer's career.

On Words and Language

"Be wary of all those slippery new fad words. They are the weeds that will choke your prose." This is a general sentiment expressed in his work, cautioning against trendy jargon.
"If you have any doubt of what a word means, look it up." [5] A simple but crucial habit for any serious writer.
"Master the small gradations between words that seem to be synonyms." [5] This highlights the importance of precision in word choice.
"The Thesaurus is to the writer what a rhyming dictionary is to the songwriter—a reminder of all the choices—and you should use it with gratitude." [5] He saw the thesaurus as a valuable tool for expanding a writer's vocabulary.
"Good usage, to me, consists of using good words if they already exist—as they almost always do—to express myself clearly and simply to someone else." [5][14] This is a practical definition of good usage that prioritizes clarity over pretension.
"Noise is the typographical error and the poorly designed page... Ambiguity is noise. Redundancy is noise. Misuse of words is noise. Vagueness is noise. Jargon is noise." [1] This broad definition of "noise" encompasses anything that gets in the way of clear communication.
"Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill rode to glory on the back of the strong declarative sentence." [1] An endorsement of the power and clarity of direct statements.
"I think a sentence is a fine thing to put a preposition at the end of." [4] Zinsser was not a rigid grammarian and favored a more natural and conversational style.
"Consider all the prepositions that are draped onto verbs that don't need any help. We no longer head committees. We head them up." [7] He pointed out common instances of clutter in everyday language.
"Truth needs no adornment." [4] A powerful statement on the value of simplicity and directness in conveying the truth.

Learn more:

Lessons from William Zinsser

On the Principles of Good Writing

On the Writing Process

On Voice and Style

On the Writer's Mindset

On Words and Language

Written by Antoine Buteau

Lessons from Anthony De Mello

Lessons from Barbara Minto