William Zinsser Quotes

One of underestimated tasks in nonfiction writing is to impose narrative shape on an unwieldy mass of material.

William Zinsser

• Writing
• Shapes
• Narrative

Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.

William Zinsser

• Writing
• inspirational
• Simplicity

Hard writing makes easy reading. Easy writing makes hard reading.

William Zinsser

• Writing
• Reading
• Easy

Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

William Zinsser

• Numbers
• Paper
• Surprising

Writing is linear and sequential; Sentence B must follow Sentence A, and Sentence C must follow Sentence B, and eventually you get to Sentence Z. The hard part of writing isn't the writing; it's the thinking. You can solve most of your writing problems if you stop after every sentence and ask: What does the reader need to know next?

William Zinsser

• Thinking
• Writing
• Problem

Don’t say you were a bit confused and sort of tired and a little depressed and somewhat annoyed. Be tired. Be confused. Be depressed. Be annoyed. Don’t hedge your prose with little timidities. Good writing is lean and confident.

William Zinsser

• Writing
• Confused
• Annoyed

Writing is not a special language that belongs to a few sensitive souls who have a 'gift for words'. Writing is the logical arrangement of thought. Anyone who thinks clearly should be able to write clearly---about any subject at all.

William Zinsser

• Thinking
• Writing
• Language

Writing is thinking on paper.

William Zinsser

• Thinking
• Writing
• Paper

People read with their ears, whether they know it or not.

William Zinsser

• People
• Read
• Whether

Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard. It's one of the hardest things that people do

William Zinsser

• People
• Writing
• Remember