William Zinsser
William Zinsser
William Knowlton Zinsserwas an American writer, editor, literary critic, and teacher. He began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, film critic and editorial writer. He was a longtime contributor to leading magazines...
William Zinsser quotes about
reading cutting trying
I try to make what I have written tighter, stronger and more precise, eliminating every element that's not doing useful work. Then I go over it once more, reading it aloud, and am always amazed at how much clutter can still be cut.
language scholarship fury
Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge.
writing essence games
Rewriting is the essence of writing well - where the game is won or lost.
needs painful good-words
If a good word already exists, there is no need to invent something painful.
successful two mind
Every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn't have before. Not two thoughts, or five - just one. So decide what single point you want to leave in the reader's mind.
want what-you-want
Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it.
trying different mass
Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.
strong roots curiosity
You'll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want
reading writing white
Nobody ever stopped reading E. B. White or V. S. Pritchett because the writing was too good.
people ears knows
People read with their ears, whether they know it or not,
thinking rehearsal action
Thought is action in rehearsal.
eloquence transactions invites
Eloquence invites us to bring some part of ourselves to the transaction.
lonely fun writing
Writing wasn't easy and wasn't fun. It was hard and lonely, and the words seldom just flowed.
writing voice quality
Finding a voice that your readers will enjoy is largely a matter of taste. Saying that isn't much help-taste is a quality so intangible that it can't even be defined. But we know it when we meet it.