Title:
On writing well : the classic guide to writing nonfiction
Author:
Zinsser, William, 1922-2015, author.
ISBN:
9780060891541
9781417750573
Personal Author:
Edition:
30th anniversary edition ; Seventh edition, revised and updated.
Physical Description:
xiii, 321 pages ; 21 cm
General Note:
"Reissued in Harper Perennial 2016"--Title page verso.
Contents:
Introduction -- PART I PRINCIPLES: -- 1. The transaction -- 2. Simplicity -- 3. Clutter -- 4. Style -- 5. The audience -- 6. Words -- 7. Usage -- PART II METHODS: -- 8. Unity -- 9. The lead and the ending -- 10. Bits & pieces -- PART III FORMS: -- 11. Nonfiction as literature -- 12. Writing about people: The interview -- 13. Writing about places: The travel article -- 14. Writing about yourself: The memoir -- 15. Science and technology -- 16. Business writing: Writing in your job -- 17. Sports -- 18. Writing about the arts: Critics and columnists -- 19. Humour -- PART IV ATTITUDES: -- 20. The sound of your voice -- 21. Enjoyment, fear and confidence -- 22. The tyranny of the final product -- 23. A writer's decisions -- 24. Writing family history and memoir -- 25. Write as well as you can -- Sources -- Index
Abstract:
On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity, and its warmth of style. It is a book for anybody who wants to learn how to write, whether about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself. Its principles and insights have made it a cherished resource for several generations of writers and students. The text warns against common errors in structure, style, and diction, and explains the fundamentals of conducting interviews and writing travel, scientific, sports, critical, and humorous articles.