William Zinsser Books

Clarity begins with stripping away clutter. Most writers, especially beginners, write too much — they crowd their sentences with excess adjectives, bureaucratic expressions, and phrases that serve no purpose. I encourage writers to see every piece of writing as a transaction of respect: if you value...

From On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

At the heart of every good piece of nonfiction is the writer’s attitude toward the craft. You cannot write well if you do not care — about your subject, about your reader, and about the language you use. I tell students that good writing comes from a combination of warmth and confidence. The warmth ...

From On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction