An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction - On Writing Well

Probably the best writing teacher I have some across. William Zinsser's wisdom is simple, straight forward and he has been my guiding light for years. I have read his books and wanted to own the tape to listen to on my walkman while I walked the dogs. The tape is in practically new condition and I am so happy to have it to hear his voice. I am only sorry I never met him and was deeply saddened to learn of his death recently.

I expect books about writing to induce sleep, I can't say I've ever found it a fascinating topic. Mr. Zinsser has changed my mind. Reading this book, I got excited about writing. Which is amazing. I picked up this book because I know my writing needs improvement and I hope I've learned a thing or two from it.

It's not a grammar book, but a book written by a professional author on how to write nonfiction. It was first published 30 years ago and this is it's 7th edition. If you are writing nonfiction for work, a blog or any other reason, pick up this book.

Cluttered thinking, inflated language... These are the elements of writing that get in the way of your ideas. Zinsser is a master of the English language and a very important author in my life. I've had to buy this count less times because it's either swiped or given away to peers that need its wisdom.

Zinsser is not only an enjoyable writer to read, he is good at explaining how to write better. In this book, Zinsser gives tips and examples on how to write well and how not to write. He is one of a small group of writers in that almost anything he writes is enjoyable. If you would like to become a better writer, this book is a great place to start.

Very useful. Simple. Easy to read and easy to use. It's a breeze to flip around and reference different sections. And it is a great reference. It's a big help for anybody looking for the basics on how to write better nonfiction. It was definitely helpful for me when I wrote my book.

Great read, great book. This should be a must-have for anyone who writes anything (so that means everyone). Writings by many people are notoriously written by them in the clunky passive voice and it is emphasized in this book that writing should be done in the active voice. (See what I did there?).

This does exactly what you expect: it talks about how to write well. The writing in the book itself is fantastic, and Zinsser gives a lot of useful advice and has good examples for both good and bad. You can tell in a few places how old the book is, but the advice has aged well. I have found this very inspirational and helpful, and I know a few other people who have.

I love to read for pleasure and for information, but "How to" books are at the very bottom of my reading list. However, I like to write. I write articles for a radiology practice. I write letters to the editor. I write stories of my family history. And I would like to improve my writing skills. So I ordered "On Writing Well."

Mr. Zinsser really knows his "stuff." The book is full of information. It is in simple language with interesting anecdotes and illustrations. It is easy to read I feel that I have already improved my writing technique and definitely learned to be a better editor of what I write.

It surprises the heck out of me, but THIS instructional book is not only informative but it's a really good read!

Note: It is, to say the very least, daunting to write a review of a book on writing well!

Saying something people will want to read was the purpose of the book and Zinsser achieved that goal. He practices what he preaches. There is a lot of great information packed into “On Writing Well” that is clearly explained making it easy to understand and retain.

This is a book about writing non-fiction. But, even for those aspiring fiction writers, these principles will apply. This should be required reading in schools and for everyone who wants to learn to write well. It is that good. I liked the way he emphasizes quality writing, even if that requires a lot of re-writing. His penchant for choosing the precise words was another thing I liked. One of my favorite parts about the book is that Zinsser teaches writers to have confidence in their point of view and opinions. For that reason, some may not like the boldness with which he expresses his opinions, but you cannot disagree with the principles of writing that he promotes. He provides examples of good and bad writing which illustrate his points. There is no ambiguity about what he believes and it will sharpen your own critical thinking about things you read.

In this age of the computers, smartphones and social media, good writing can be a lost art. Zinsser will implant in the reader a new reverence for good writing which will make you want to write the best you can. I would give it a six star rating if that was an option.

William Zinsser passed away this year on May 12.

"...I’ve made that sense of enjoyment my credo as a writer and an editor. Writing is such lonely work that I try to keep myself cheered up......Red Smith, delivering the eulogy at the funeral of a fellow sports-writer, said, 'Dying is no big deal. Living is the trick.' One of the reasons I admired Red Smith was that he wrote about sports for 55 years, with grace and humor, without succumbing to the pressure, which was the ruin of many sportswriters, that he ought to be writing about something 'serious.' He found in sportswriting what he wanted to do and what he loved doing, and because it was right for him he said more important things about American values than many writers who wrote about serious subjects so seriously that nobody could read them. Living is the trick. Writers who write interestingly tend to be men and women who keep themselves interested. That’s almost the whole point of becoming a writer. I’ve used writing to give myself an interesting life and a continuing education. If you write about subjects you think you would enjoy knowing about, your enjoyment will show in what you write..." (pp. 244-245)

He was a good writer himself, and his legacy stays with us forever in this book. There are many good tips like you should use active verbs and simple, clear sentences in plain English; I can't agree more.

However I can't really tell his writing is perfect, either. He tries to show us many ways to write well, but sometimes in his own writing, too, I find the same problems he points out himself, which means he happens to contradict himself.

Yet he says, "yes, that is writing; it's tough, and it's never perfect. I'm not genius, and so I keep trying to make my work better like other good writers do by reading it one more time. That always makes me find one more thing to edit." And that's why this book is super-helpful.

There's no such magic for a good writer, but only effort.

If you're a writer, and you've read this book, you want to read your own writing one more time and carefully edit it one more time even if you've already done it many times. What's more helpful than this advice for a good-writer-wanna-be? Seriously it's how a better writer is MADE.

We find the greatest lesson from this book on the very last page:
"...DiMaggio was the greatest player I ever saw, and nobody looked more relaxed. He covered vast distances in the outfield, moving in graceful strides, always arriving ahead of the ball, making the hardest catch look routine, and even when he was at bat, hitting the ball with tremendous power, he didn't appear to be exerting himself. I marveled at how effortless he looked because what he did could only be achieved by great daily effort..." (p. 302)

Great book. Written with lots of examples from different writers in different styles. This makes the book read like a collection of stories with the author reflecting on the writing style. Which makes it easier to read and more entertaining than a plain course book with grammar rules.

I rite butter bye redding dis buk! Seriously, the first few chapters were the best at giving the 'nuts and bolts' of good writing. The later chapters were more examples from different genres and although helpful, not quite as interesting. Overall, it probably belongs in your personal library.

For someone who isn't a professional writer, has never taken a writing class, but needs to write for his profession, this book was a welcome read. I'm sure I'm breaking many of the writing rules that were discussed in the book right here in my review. But, the wonderful thing about this book is the author provides both specifics and an overall philosophy on how to approach and improve one's writing. The author provides examples of bad writing and how to fix it. He also provides specifics for those writing about people, places, science and technology, etc. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to improve their writing.

For someone who isn't a professional writer, has never taken a writing class, but needs to write for his profession, this book was a welcome read. I'm sure I'm breaking many of the writing rules that were discussed in the book right here in my review. But, the wonderful thing about this book is the author provides both specifics and an overall philosophy on how to approach and improve one's writing. The author provides examples of bad writing and how to fix it. He also provides specifics for those writing about people, places, science and technology, etc. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to improve their writing.

An excellent guide book. I read a few chapters, and already learned some key fundamentals about writing that I drastically improved an important article I am writing.
. Very happy. Thanks for writing it!

This book is the most democratic book on writing I have ever come across. Early on, Zinsser declares that good writers are not sublimely-inspired Van Goghs or Mozarts, but solitary drugdes wading through their drafts over and over to smooth out the sentences.
"Most people don't realize, how bad their writing is," says Zinsser. But this book is about building confidence and being satisfied with your efforts.
The middle chapters on the different types of writing got a little encyclopedic for my taste. But the final chapters were worth waiting for, especially chapter 23 "A Writer's Decisions." In it, the author goes line by line through a travel article he wrote to explain all of his choices. Thoroughly fascinating.

I am just finishing up my masters degree. Wish I had read this book at the beginning of my program! This should be required reading for all students. It was comforting to hear from the author that "writing is hard"! I use the lessons in my everyday writing now!

This book was written primarily for the non-fiction writer, but I wanted to send passages--and even whole chapters--to a novelist I recently edited. Zinsser has so much common sense and that other elusive quality (yes, good advice) that a writer who is not familiar with him has a fool for a client....

What a pretentious title suggesting that this William guy was trying to teach me how to write. "Game on, buddy. You are about to fail.." was my thought while throwing this book aside. It took me weeks to gather the courage to start. That day I realized something different; this is about a guy sharing his passion. He doesn't care if you are learning something and keeps sharing good stuff. If one day I run into this guy, I will shout: "Your damn book is a trap, thanks!".

The first 100 pages of this book should be required reading for every non-fiction writer. Period. After that, the book spirals a bit into different genres, trying to be a bit of a one-stop shopping guide. Since I don't write about sports, for instance, that had little interest for me.

I first read a library copy. It was so informative I bought it for constant reference. I'm rereading it before I start my first rewrite of my non-fiction book. Writers can improve their writing by studying the content and wannabe writers, here is a big step forward in achieving your writing goals.

This book is bound to be a classic reference book.

By locating a bit of non-fiction text that you find confusing, and applying what you understand having read the Kindle sample pages, you can determine the value to YOU before buying.

Compare the modified text you created to the original text.
If having tried this a few times you don't feel the least bit interested in finding out what the other pages contain, then don't buy it.

BUT, let's suppose you purchase this book.
What can you look forward to?

Ideas that encourage reflection on how you can provide your readership with a delightful experience.

Encouragement to embrace simplicity, and the re-writing that makes your readers able to hop skip and jump over the concepts, stories, and facts you pen to entertain them.

I decided long ago to pursue lifelong learning, now I have the tools to make my own notes enjoyable and the notes of other subject specific professionals accessible.

I am glad I bought it, and was struck by enlightenment a second time when I combined its advice with that within "A Rulebook for Arguments" also sold by the store as a Kindle e-book.

This is a very good book on writing, which complements (and is complemented by) "The Elements of Style" of Strunk and White.

The unity of the book can be summarized as: writing non-fiction is a craft and, like any craft, has certain rules. The book presents important rules of writing non-fiction and justifies each of the rules. Most of these rules are complemented with good and bad examples of it, and the book itself is a good example of writing by its own right: it is informative, gives understanding, and is amusing.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how to write and better understand this craft.

I write only technically. And I read both fiction and non-fiction. Great instruction of how to write and not to write. Zinsser gives examples of common sense usage toward writing. I now read differently and write more clearly. I advise all to read this. A brush up on writing later in life is necessary. We all need to amend our writing skills.

As the title states, there is no other reason one would want this book other than to learn how to write well. It is gracefully written by a writer with natural talent, and it comes across in a very natural manner. It kept my attention and presented me with validation that I still need to hone my writing skills. Overall, very amusing, and at times a funny read that will not disappoint.

"On Writing Well" is a classic primer on good writing. William Zinsser cuts through the need of many writers to junk up their prose with needless gobbledygook. I wish I had read it years earlier. He cites excellent examples of good writing including E.B.White and Joseph Mitchell. I would even recommend it as a high school or college text book.