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Zinsser. On Writing Well New York: HarperCollins, 2001. The Debate. Zinsser was asked to speak alongside another author. The audience asked questions. These are the responses. What is it like to be a writer? Dr. Brock: Tremendous fun! Write my tension of the day away!
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Zinsser On Writing Well New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
The Debate Zinsser was asked to speak alongside another author. The audience asked questions. These are the responses. What is it like to be a writer? Dr. Brock: Tremendous fun! Write my tension of the day away! The words just flow! It is easy! Zinsser: Writing is hard. Writing is lonely. It isn’t fun, and the words seldom just flow.”
The Debate Is it important to rewrite? Dr. Brock: Absolutely not! Let it all hang out! Whatever form the sentences take will reflect the writer at his most natural. Zinsser: Rewriting is the essence of writing. Professional writers rewrite over and over and then rewrite what they have rewritten. What do you do on days when it isn’t going well? Dr. Brock: Stop. Put it down. Walk away. Wait until another day. Zinsser: Professional writers write every day. Writing is a craft, not an art. If you stop, you go broke.
The Debate If you are feeling depressed, will it affect your writing? Dr. Brock: Probably. Go fishing. Take a walk. Zinsser: It won’t. If it is your job, you do it whatever your mood. Do you put symbolism in your writing? Dr. Brock: I love symbols! I weave them through everything I write. Zinsser: Not if I can help it! I have an unbroken record of missing the meaning in any story, play, movie, dance, mime…
Neither. There isn’t any “right” way to do such personal work. There are all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods: by day by night in complete silence in complete chaos with music by hand typewritten talking into a microphone attached to a computer program
The Problem with Tension Writers are nervous. This vulnerability translates to stiffness on the page. The writing doesn’t reflect the interesting person who wrote it. Good writing has HUMANITY and WARMTH, not gimmicks. Use the English language in a way that will achieve the greatest clarity and strength.
CH 2 - Simplicity “Clutter is the disease of American Writing.” Strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Take out: words with no function long words that could be short adverbs that don’t clarify meaning, only repeat it passive construction where you can’t tell who is doing what EX: “Such preparations shall be made as will completely obscure all Federal buildings and non-federal buildings occupied by the Federal government during an air raid for any period of time from visibility by reason of internal or external illumination.”
Simplicity Roosevelt interpreted that government memo: “Tell them, in buildings where they have to keep the work going to put something across the windows.” Clear thinking becomes clear writing. Muddy thinkers can’t write effectively.
Who is the reader? He has an attention span of 30 seconds on a good day. Many things are competing for his time. The number one distraction? SLEEP.
Who is the reader? “The reader is too dumb, lazy, etc. to understand what I am writing.” Nope. The writer hasn’t been careful. -verbage, too long, switched pronouns, tenses are incorrect, not logical, big words no one but the writer knows, not human and not warm. The reader can only infer what the writer is trying to imply.
Who is the Reader? Obstacles When readers encounter obstacles, first they blame themselves. - I must have missed something - I need to go back and look for it - I’m distracted or something Readers then make guesses (infer) and move on. If the writer makes them work too hard, it’s over. -
Constantly ask… What am I trying to say? Have I said it? Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time? If the answer is “I don’t know,” or, “No,” revise.
fuzz When writing isn’t doing the job intended. (Not achieving its purpose with the audience) Clear writers recognize fuzz. Thinking clearly is a conscious act that all writers must force themselves to do. Good writing doesn’t come naturally. If you find writing hard, it’s because it is hard.
Ch 3: clutter “Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds—the writer is always slightly behind.” New words sprout every day. Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn’t be there.
Clutter examples We don’t face problems anymore, we face up to them. The word “up” shouldn’t be there. It is doing no valuable work. We don’t converse with our neighbor, we conversate. “Conversate” is not a word. The –ate ending is added and serves no purpose. Why ruin perfectly good words by adding extra nonsense? It’s not logical.
clutter Examine every word. --laborious phrases “at the present time” - now --euphemisims “depressed socioeconomic area” -slum “waste disposal area” = dump political correctness gone amok --official language – verbal camouflage used by corporations or governments to cover mistakes “USAF missile impacted with the ground prematurely” = the missile crashed --”political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible” ~George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” - euphemism, cloudy, vague, begs the question (fallacy)
Clutter Examine every word --jargon using words no one else understands (slang, professional) EX: Educational jargon, ELPS, BICS, CALPS, TEKS, STAAR --Beware the long word that is no better than the short one. “assistance” v. help “with the possible exception of” v. except “he totally lacked the ability to” v. he couldn’t “I might add, It should be pointed out, It is interesting to note” If you might add it, add it. If it should be pointed out, then point at it. If it is interesting to note, then make it interesting to read. Don’t inflate what needs no inflation.
clutter Examine every word --word clusters “I believe that” “I think that” “for the purpose of” Of course you believe it or think it, you are the one writing it. “For the purpose of” is a long way of saying “for” Use brackets to identify clutter when revising. EX: [I believe that] Zinsser’s ideas are innovative.
Ch 4: Style If I strip every sentence, won’t it be boring? Run, Jane. Fuzz prevents you from communicating. Strip down the fuzz, then build your writing with humanity and warmth that can only come from your experience.
style Writers are most natural when they write in 1st person. Writing is intimate, human. There is only one you. Nobody else thinks like you.
style You might think, “Nobody cares.” They will if you make them care. “Who am I to say what I think?” You are unique. You are valuable. Your experience is appreciated.
style Exceptions: college term papers, dissertations, research, news articles Why? These types of writings are supposed to be completely objective. But there are exceptions to even those exceptions, especially when the research is driven by personal interest. Just be careful not to slip into opinion when fact is required.
style Why people don’t use “I” You are unwilling to be responsible for your ideas. Believe in yourself and your opinions. Interest and entertain yourself with your writing, and others will be interested and entertained, even though they may not agree. Don’t cheapen your thoughts with cheap words, made-up words, or cliché. EX: Thinking “outside of the box” is not.
Ch 14: Writing about yourself You know this subject best. No teacher wants 150 copies of the same person or the same essay. Individuality What makes your thoughts unique? Your life is valid. What can you give that no one else can? Memory is a deep well of material.
Writing about yourself Ego vs. Egotism Ego is healthy, interesting, confident and pleasurable to hear. Egotism is a drag. Your writing is not a therapy session. Prattle.
Writing about yourself Autobiography vs. Memoir Autobiography spans your entire life. Memoir focuses on a particular time and focuses on it’s importance. Give yourself permission to have a good time writing about you. The best gift in your writing is YOU! Write with humanity and warmth. Master the tools, and write as well as you can.
