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
teaching writing care
I have no interest in teaching writers how to sell. I want to teach them how to write. If the process is sound, the product will take care of itself, and sales are likely to follow.
writing want helping
There are all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods, and any method that helps you to say what you want to say is the right method for you.
writing simplicity humanity
My four articles of faith: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity.
writing voice musical
My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing about, is me. And your commodity is you. Don't alter your voice to fit the subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize when they hear it on the page, a voice that's enjoyable not only in its musical line but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone: breeziness and condescension and clichés.
errors marketing vagueness
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.
hard-work writing simple
A simple [writing] style is the result of very hard work.
trying knows asks
Writers must constantly ask: what I am trying to say? Surprisingly often, they don't know.
hard-work writing hard
Writing is hard work.
writing problem writing-well
All writing is ultimately a question of solving a problem.
being-yourself writing trying
Be yourself and your readers will follow you anywhere. Try to commit an act of writing and they will jump overboard to get away.
mistake corporations language
Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes.
writing thinking trying
Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us to find out what we know-and what we don't know-about whatever we're trying to learn.
want stories emotion
Dare to tell the smallest of stories if you want to generate large emotions.
motivation faster spray
Motivation clears the head faster than a nasal spray.