This is the one book I return to again and
again--particularly when I feel my writing getting stale.

I recommend this to my students and
fellow writers--even creative writers. It's a winner for anyone who wants to improve their
writing.

Zinsser gives extremely practical advice about
writing, in a very flowing and interesting style. One important thing he stresses is that to write
well, one has to *work at it*. I was used to sitting down and expecting the words just to flow. Now
when I write, I take the time to use the principles Zinsser outlines. This is one of those books
that I have highlighted nearly every line in. The whole book is very useful for the professional
and novice writer. I don't think I would ever be without it. The interview section was particularly
helpful when I needed to do one for a church newsletter. There should be something for everyone who
wants to write about places, sports, science, business, or memoirs (there is a chapter on each).

This book will be of particular help to me when I go to graduate school next year. Then I will
especially need to be able to organize my thoughts and write in a clear and concise manner. Overall
I cannot stop stressing how important this book has been in improving my writing style.

The first of four parts,
Principles, discusses matters such as word choice and style, especially simplicity. Part two is
Methods. It cites examples of good writing, and discusses the various attributes of those pieces,
including an invaluable short section on grammar. The third part, Forms, includes details on how to
write for specific genres. And the final part, Attitudes, addresses what I consider the writer's
most valuable thing: his view of his craft.

In the first part, the author explains that the
principles that make a great writer can be learned. He shows that revising does not become
unnecessary, even as one progresses in the craft. The chapter includes two pages of a heavily
written manuscript written by Zinsser himself. The author discourages the use of jargon, arguing
that it cheapens your style. Instead, clearness and simplicity are what you should strive for.

In
part two, Zinsser discusses the various methods of good writing. He first emphasizes unity, and then
moves to what I consider the most useful section of the book-a chapter titled "Bits and Pieces." As
its name suggests, this chapter comprises all the miscellaneous writing errors noticed by the
author. And instead of using "25 columns of type" as Fowler does in his Modern English Usage,
Zinsser explains the difference between that and which in a single page. Each section in "Bits and
Pieces" is short, but that makes the chapter more useful because it doesn't take too long to read.
Zinsser explains each method with grace and humor.

The third part, Forms, is the longest and
seemed to me at first to be the least useful. There is a chapter about interviewing, and another
about writing the memoir. .... Other chapters, such as "Science and Technology," were more directly
pertinent to my goals, and the chapter on humor made me laugh out loud. But I came to understand the
value of reading about other forms of the craft of writing as well as my own-it showed me that my
own focus is just a small part of the whole. I came to appreciate the care put into news stories
that use interviews; reading about it was no waste of time.

The final section of the book is
devoted to attitudes. The author delves into the psychology of the writer when writing. He advises
us to not confine ourselves to a certain field because a good writer can write about anything. He
uses an example from his own experience, telling how he came to appreciate the work of a respected
photographer and painter of birds by writing the man's story. Before he did this, the Zinsser had
never really written a similar pieces. Next comes a chapter titled "The Tyranny of the Final
Product." It discusses how some people write for a specific magazine or audience, and in doing so
never allow their work to develop into something new and exciting. Finally, Zinsser tells us to
write as well and with as much enthusiasm as we can-and that our efforts will be rewarded. He ends
the final chapter with a powerful message: if we don't write as well as we can, we may disappoint
our readers.

Before reading On Writing Well, I already had come to value simplicity over
complexity and brevity over verbosity. But Zinsser's tips helped me refine my ideas and approach. I
also found valuable the explanations of the process a writer takes: what he thinks as he organizes
his work, as he uses his voice. Writing is a craft; great writing follows patterns. Zinsser's On
Writing Well traces these patterns out, and makes an invaluable guide. It is worthy of your bookcase
if you write and want to write more well.