Wednesday Book Review: On Writing Well

Title: On Writing Well

Author: William Zinsser

Genre: Non-fiction

Book procurement: Recommended by Angela Meadon.

Synopsis:

On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sold, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.

Review:

As my first non-fiction book review, I have changed the review criteria accordingly but kept the basics, of course. I must say I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book and how influential it has been to my writing.

It is clear that William Zinsser enjoys writing. It comes out in his words and in his style of writing. He, in fact, follows the very advice he’s giving which makes taking the advice that much easier. There is even a section where he has gone back and revised this book and shows what the changes were and why.

“Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.”

What I appreciated most about this book was the number of examples given, across different writing topics you will come across as a non-fiction writer. I think if I wasn’t employed as a Junior Technical Writer, I may have skipped this book simply because I don’t write non-fiction, but I would definitely recommend it whether you’re a non-fiction writer or not. There are some very relevant writing tips that I have applied across my writing.

“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. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.”

There are numerous topics covered here, from writing a memoir to sports writing to writing about science and technology, and even writing humour. The first section is dedicated to improving writing in general, covering topics such as simplifying your work, removing clutter, understanding and finding your writing style, the words you use and what is the best usage for these words.

“Not every oak has to be gnarled.”

The writing style flows and is enjoyable on so many levels. It feels as though he is sitting with me or in a conference room, giving insight on the writing process. This conversational style of writing makes the book bearable and not feel like a textbook, which I highly appreciate. There’s nothing worse then the drudgery of reading a textbook you really want to enjoy but the writing puts you to sleep.

“One man’s romantic sunrise is another man’s hangover.”

Recommendation: Highly recommended for both fiction and non-fiction writers.

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Mind of the Trade

Monday morning I’m stuck deep within the confines of On Writing Well by William Zinsser, finding my thought process winding into non-fiction gear as I prepare for work. My mind suffers from professional-author-talk syndrome and my writing follows suit. Therefore’s and however’s creep into my speech. Professionalism at its finest.

Monday afternoon I’m reading Moxyland by Lauren Beukes, an African dystopian novel chockful of colloquialism and slang, written as the language is spoken, with a myriad of colourful characters each unique in their speech. I’ve switched to calling people “babes” or “chief”, embracing the local lingo like I’m still traversing Bree Street, and hoping to fit into my “culture”.

Monday evening The Mammoth Book of Steampunk Adventures has reduced me to a 19th century philosopher, admonishing my nephew on his incorrect use of the Queen’s language while envisioning a world free of technological advancements as we experience them. And an occasional dabble in alchemy.

It fascinates (and sometimes frightens) me how easily my mind can shift between influences and so quickly too. How pliable is my mind? How much of it is mine and how much of it is Stephen King or Warren Hately or H.G. Wells. Is the Nthato speaking to you now J.F. Penn or Ernest Cline?  Is it an amalgamation of them all? Nthato Barker-Lovecraft-Morgensten-C.Clarke-Pratchett Morakabi?

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. ~ Stephen King

Having a pool of inspirational sources is part of having a mind for the trade. It makes my days cramming the inspirational relevance of Rococo, Pop Art, Renaissance, Expressionism, Realism etc during my History of Art lessons make so much sense. Through understanding others in the craft and their influence, I grow in the craft. Does it matter that I become pseudo-Shakespeare after reading Othello? Perhaps if you happen to be around me, but this pliable mind absorbing the different styles and techniques of various authors is what will help sharpen my writing. Inspiration is synonymous with influence after all. The Oxford Thesaurus said so.

Tools of the Trade

Every writer must have a reliable writing arsenal under their belt; a set of weapons to take down the enemy in the field of battle. I have found, however, that many aspiring writers carry a selection of powerful weapons but are unable to use them. If they do, they use them at their lowest potential.

Well that’s how I felt anyway. I ran around swinging sword and shield only to come out battered and bruised with no idea why. That is until a veteran warrior brought spoils from the war, a manual for the unseasoned warrior. She gave me On Writing Well by William Zinsser (Amazon link). My eyes were opened.

I went to a school where I spoke English as my first language. In fact to this day I think and write only in English, while slipping into vernacular whenever the situation calls for it. Or I’m trying to impress my fellow Tswana/Zulu speaking counterparts. Nevertheless, I believed I had a firm grasp of the English language. Editing was a skill I thought I was adept in, like a novice swordsman who knows only how to swing a sword. It was only when thrust into the battlefield that this foolishness became evident.

“Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it’s where the game is won or lost. That idea is hard to accept. We all have an emotional equity in our first draft; we can’t believe that it wasn’t born perfect. But the odds are close to 100 percent that it wasn’t.” ~ William Zinsser

Now, reading my writing in light of this new knowledge has been a cringe-worthy experience. That’s a decade of writing, half of it spent writing “professionally”. What bothers me most is the fact that I was not aware of the amateur mistakes I was making. Sure I used words correctly. I put my apostrophes in the right place. I could use punctuation marks correctly. But these were merely the hilt of a Camelot-worthy broadsword.

I have read a little over eighty pages of this +300 word book and already see an improvement in my writing. I now know what to look for when editing my work. Granted, this book is for writing non-fiction pieces but its principles are applicable across the board. I feel like an experienced gamer who finally gets over his pride and plays through the tutorial. The warrior who turns to a master to better their skill. A writer able to properly wield his tools of the trade.