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Quote by William Zinsser

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William Zinsser
William Zinsser

William Zinsser was an American writer renowned for his concise, clear, and humorous writing style. His works spanned a variety of fields including literature, history, and practical writing, with his most famous titles being 'On Writing Well' and 'American Writing'. Zinsser's writing style has had a profound impact on modern writing. more

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“I try to make what I have written tighter, stronger and more precise, eliminating every element that's not doing useful work. Then I go over it once more, reading it aloud, and am always amazed at how much clutter can still be cut.”

TryingStillsReadingCuttingWrittenElementsStrongerOver ItAmazedPreciseClutterEliminating
Book:On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
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“The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what—these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually occur in proportion to the education and rank.”

WritingLongSecretReaderThousandFunctionSentencesProportionCarrieConstructionPassiveComponentsVerbsGood WritingUnsureAdverbsShort WordsLong Words
Author:William Zinsser
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“You'll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want”

WantLanguageStrongRichRootsMarkCuriosityShadeEnglish LanguageObsessiveSupple
Book:On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
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