How I Learned to Write for Everyone.
William Zinsser’s "On Writing Well" teaches that clear, simple writing connects with readers. Cut out jargon, focus on clarity, and rewrite for conciseness. The book’s advice makes non-technical writing approachable and enjoyable for everyone.
On Writing Well is a book that made it easier for me to write documents. Writing technical documents for non-technical users used to be a significant challenge for me, but William Zinsser’s On Writing Well changed my entire approach. By focusing on clarity and simplicity, I discovered how to better connect with both technical and non-technical readers.
The book suggests cutting sentences down to the basics and says that rewriting is key to making your writing concise and useful in any kind of non-fiction writing.
There’s a lot to like in this book, but what stands out is how simple and clear the writing is when solving problems. I mostly write for myself. If I enjoy writing a blog and learn something new, you, as a reader, probably learn it too.
Rather than giving you my own summary, here are some quotes that I think show the value of this book for all writers.
“All writing is ultimately a question of solving a problem.”
“It’s the principle of leading readers who know nothing, step by step, to a grasp of subjects they didn’t think they had an aptitude for or were afraid they were too dumb to understand.”
“Less is more.”
“Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.”
“The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds.”
“Don't annoy your readers by over-explaining--by telling them something they already know or can figure out.”
“Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.”
Write something to learn.
