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Famous William Zinsser Quotes
“Writing improves in direct ratio to the things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.”
“My four articles of faith: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity.”
“Good writers are visible just behind their words.”
“Good writing is lean and confident.”
“Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.”
“Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it.”
“Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.”
“Clutter is the disease of American writing.”
“Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge.”
“What I want to do is to make people laugh so that they'll see things seriously.”
“Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.”
“A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing.”
“Writing is a craft not an art.”
“There's not much to be said about the period except that most writers don't reach it soon enough.”
“The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”
“Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds-the writer is always slightly behind.”
“A clear sentence is no accident.”