On On Writing Well
Less is More
After committing to writing daily I picked up a helpful sounding book.
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser had some valuable lessons:
1. Writing Flow is a fallacy
The idea of sitting at a desk and perfect writing flowing is a joke. Real writing has a free form component. But it also involves extensive rewriting and reshaping to make the words work.
2. Relaxation is a prerequisite
Most Writers least favorite task is writing. Tense, forceful writing will bleed onto the page. A relaxed focus is required. There’s no better reminder than writing of all the other todos. Making tea. Folding laundry. Making tea. There is an inflection point where the process becomes enjoyable. But it’s like wrestling a dragon.
3. Starting sentences with But is stronger than However
However is a weak start to a sentence. It’s laborious and pompous. But slaps people in the face. It jolts them in a new direction without asking permission. However at the end of a sentence is almost as bad. The best way to use however, however is at some point early in the sentence, where there is a natural break and change in direction.
This book was slightly old fashioned. Some of the excerpts were not as punchy as the writer made out. The writing flowed beautifully though, and the chapters had strong focuses. There were also some fun stories at the beginning about the author and some of his friends being interviewed on a show about literature. His description of the snobbishness of the host was hilarious. It helped distinguish the different writing camps in the world. And how anyone can be revered as a good writer if enough people think so.