There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn’t because the book is not there and worth being written — it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and, if you fail to find that form, the story will not tell itself.” — Mark Twain The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” — Mark Twain

He encourages people not to be snobby about nonfiction, or to think of it as inferior to fiction writing; he exhorts everyone to treat nonfiction with the same attention normally given to fiction. Always use “that” unless it makes your meaning ambiguous. If your sentence needs a comma to achieve its precise meaning, it probably needs “which” American author William Zinsser’s On Writing Well (1976), is a popular writing manual for high school and college students. Zinsser, who died in 2015, was a longtime features writer for the New York Herald Tribune and other popular publications. The range of articles he wrote during his life provided him with the expertise to offer advice on a range of nonfiction forms in his classic, On Writing Well. Zinsser also taught writing at Yale and Columbia, and he often references his teaching experience to illustrate certain of his observations on writing.And one of [the things you learn as you get older] is, you really need less… My model for this is late Beethoven. He moves so strangely and quite suddenly sometimes from place to place in his music, in the late quartets. He knows where he’s going and he just doesn’t want to waste all that time getting there… One is aware of this as one gets older. You can’t waste time.” — Ursula K. Le Guin Sometimes the ideas just come to me. Other times I have to sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It’s a mysterious process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. I like a mystery, as you may have noticed.” — J.K. Rowling

Continue to build. Every paragraph should amplify the one that preceded it. Give more thought to adding solid detail and less to entertaining the reader. But take special care with the last sentence of each paragraph—it’s the crucial springboard to the next paragraph. Who am I writing for?” 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. When it’s time to conclude, don’t summarize too much. Review everything briefly, recap the benefits to the reader, and wrap it up! Lesson 3: Inspire yourself with your writing and you will inspire those who read it. Good writers are visible just behind their words. If you aren’t allowed to use “I,” at least think “I” while you write, or write the first draft in the first person and then take the “I”s out. It will warm up your impersonal style. 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.Reviewing the book again, I remember why I liked it. It’s (unsurprisingly) written well and is full of useful tips. I’m through re-reading “Part I: Principles” and I can't not share its best tips: 1. The heart of good non-fiction writing is the “personal transaction.” At the heart of good nonfiction writing is the personal transaction of humanity and warmth. Simplicity Reaching for “gaudy similes and tinseled adjectives” does not create style, Zinsser writes. Style comes from your authenticity and uniqueness. What’s in a Name. Zinsser originally wanted to call his book Writing Well. But his editor, Buz Wyeth, noted that the poet Donald Hall had already published a book by that name, so he suggested that Zinsser add “On” to the title.

The race in writing is not to the swift but to the original. Make a habit of reading what is being written today and what was written by earlier masters. Writing is learned by imitation. Surprise is the most refreshing element in nonfiction writing. If something surprises you it will also surprise—and delight—the people you are writing for, especially as you conclude your story and send them on their way. Bits & PiecesLike travel writing, sports writing is full of tired clichés. The best sportswriters know how to cut them out and tell compelling stories that connect sports to universal human experiences. Art and entertainment writers get the luxury of presenting their opinions to the public, but they also have an important responsibility to help readers understand the context and history of certain art forms. Finally, humor is writers’ “secret weapon,” because it lets them say things that they wouldn’t be able to publish otherwise. Whether humorists are making serious political arguments or just entertaining, Zinsser argues, they have a responsibility to speak the truth. Readers want the person who is talking to them to sound genuine. Therefore a fundamental rule is: be yourself. No rule, however, is harder to follow. It requires writers to do two things that by their metabolism are impossible. They must relax, and they must have confidence. From cavemen to our modern day in the 21st-century, we have written our joys and sorrows throughout history. What compels us to write? Here’s what some of the most beloved writers we know have to say. Your style will be warmer and truer to your personality if you use contractions like “I’ll” and “won’t” and “can’t” when they fit comfortably into what you’re writing It’s easier to be natural and retain your humanity. 6. Don’t get caught up with pleasing your audience.

You miss 100% of the shots that you never take — Wayne Gretsky,” as Michael Scott once said. In tribute to this sentiment, these writing quotes help show why it’s important not to let failure or rejection get you down. After 2006, Zinsser added a section called “Writing Family History and Memoir.” It is the penultimate chapter in most editions of On Writing Well, and it was inspired by Zinsser’s decade plus experience of teaching memoir and family writing to students at the New School in Manhattan. Zinsser tells students to, “Be yourself and your readers will follow you anywhere.” He discusses how writing about one’s family or one’s own development can be an act of healing and forgiveness. Another approach is to just tell a story. Narrative is the oldest and most compelling method of holding someone’s attention; everybody wants to be told a story. Stephen actually learned this lesson himself from his boss and editor John Gould at his job writing for Lisbon’s Weekly Newspaper. Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection. You ask yourself every question you can think of, what, why, how come, and then your sadness turns to anger. That’s my favorite part. It drives me, feeds me, and makes one hell of a story.” — Jennifer SalaizIn writing about oneself, Zinsser encourages people to write only for themselves—not for publication, or for money, or to impress people; one tends to generate the best material when they are honest with their thoughts. I love writing and reading books that help me become a better writer. On Writing Well is refreshing because it goes beyond the typical writing advice you usually hear. It gives tips that will inspire you to do what’s really necessary to become a great writer. Who would I recommend the On Writing Well summary to? Readers will stop reading you if they think you are talking down to them. Nobody wants to be patronized. Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. [...] All they do is show you've been to college.” — Kurt Vonnegut