William Zinsser’s Book “On Writing Well” Essay

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Introduction

Subsequent to reading Zinsser‘s book “On Writing Well” I have learned that there are common difficulties in writing. Basing on the ideologies of Chapter 14, it is apparent that “bits and pieces” contribute to the success of writing. According to Zinclar, writing is no mean feat since it involves research especially when one presents information concerning places; thus, the need for proper referencing. I have learned that whenever one reads something, and he is unable to comprehend the thoughts of the writer, it does not mean that the person reading is incompetent. Rather, the difficulties in reading may arise from the writer’s carelessness. To correct so, a writer has to harmonize his thoughts to be able to provide a good piece of writing.

Thinking clearly

I have also learned that many writers have ideas but writing them can be difficult. Therefore, is advisable for them to read the work and ask themselves if the work can make sense to an individual reading it. If the answer is no, then the writing has to be re-written in a clearer way. This is often the case when presenting memoirs as evident in Chapter 14. From Zinsser’s advice, I have also learned that everyone can write well, but some people do not do attain such a feat because they fail to think clearly (Zinsser 12).

Clear thinking enables a writer to produce an excellent piece of writing. If a writer is unable to think clearly while writing, he or she can produce writings that confuse readers (Zinsser 12). Moreover, writers who understand themselves have the capability of producing goods work of literature. Zinsser further asserts that writers should use active verbs with eloquence to avid confusing their target audiences. As such, a written piece of works should express passion.

I have also learned that in order to write perfectly, a writer has to create words daily. One can never be the best writer within a day. However, writing for some time enables one to identify the common mistakes. Through this, a person can gain confidence and his writing skills will improve. Additionally, when writing, it is vital to maintain unity throughout the work. For instance, if one chooses a tense, the tense has to be used from the beginning to the end of the writing. It will be for wrong to start writing with the present sense and then change in the middle to the past tense (Zinsser 50).

Furthermore, a writer has to impress his readers. This can achievable by making the initial sentences striking. This is because such first parts of the writing lead the readers. If the first part is boring or nonsensical, the readers will stop reading immediately (Zinsser 56). Moreover, the correct use of verbs, adverbs, punctuations, and adjectives is very vital in writing because they make sentences to flow (Zinsser 69).

I have equally denoted that whenever people write about themselves, it is vital to avoid talking about other individuals in their work. Furthermore, one should be very confident when writing about themselves. It is also important to ensure that thoughts and emotions make the writing interesting and long enough (Zinsser 135). It is imperative to consider that such approaches make it simple for the writers to incorporate aspects pertaining to ethos as well as logos.

Conclusion

Through Zinsser’s work, I have realized that in order to produce a good work, a writer has to ensure that he or she writes short sentences that logically flow from the previous ones. The long sentences that do not logically flow may make sense to the writer himself but not to the reader. Additionally, a writer should ensure that he uses key words suitably. Some writers do not take time to read their work in order to identify the misuse of words. For instance, some words like sanguine and sanguinary are similar but have different, meanings. Hence, if the writer is not careful, he can use one of these words to means the other, and these can change the meaning of whatever he is writing.

Works cited

Zinsser, William. On Writing well. Harpercollins. 2001. Web.

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IvyPanda. 2021. "William Zinsser’s Book “On Writing Well”." January 12, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/william-zinssers-book-on-writing-well/.

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