Where to Start with William Zinsser
William Zinsser (1922-2015) was an American writer, editor, literary critic, and teacher whose work shaped how millions of people think about writing. He began his career at the New York Herald Tribune, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, and film critic. He later served as a columnist for Life magazine and the New York Times. In 1970, he joined Yale University, where he taught a legendary course on nonfiction writing that became the foundation for On Writing Well. He also taught at the New School and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Across a career spanning more than six decades, Zinsser wrote nineteen books covering subjects from jazz to baseball to American travel, but it is On Writing Well that became his enduring legacy. First published in 1976, it has sold more than 1.5 million copies and remains one of the most widely used writing guides in the English-speaking world.
Start here
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
William Zinsser · 336 pages · 2006 · Easy
Themes: clear writing, nonfiction craft, simplicity, business communication, editing
The definitive guide to writing clear, engaging nonfiction, now in its 30th Anniversary Edition. William Zinsser distills decades of experience as a journalist, editor, and Yale writing instructor into a book that has helped more than 1.5 million readers write better.
Why Start Here
On Writing Well is Zinsser’s masterwork and the book that defined his career. It grew out of his writing course at Yale, where students kept telling him that his practical advice was more useful than anything they had encountered in formal writing classes. The book covers the core principles of good nonfiction writing: simplicity, clarity, identity, and the craft of rewriting. Then it applies those principles across forms including interviews, travel, memoir, science, sports, business, and humor.
Zinsser practices what he preaches. The book itself is a demonstration of the clear, warm, direct style he advocates. He uses real examples, both good and bad, to show rather than tell. His chapter on clutter, where he dissects overwritten sentences and strips them to their essentials, is alone worth the price of the book.
What to Expect
A 336-page book that reads like a conversation with a brilliant, generous teacher. Zinsser covers craft, process, and attitude, giving you both the tools and the confidence to write clearly about any subject. No previous writing experience is required.