On Writing Wel: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

William Zinsser has been my idol since I first read On Writing Well, the definitive guide to writing non-fiction that I recommend to all my students. It's a book you cannot afford not to read even if the writing you have to do at work is minimal. If, however, you are a journalist or work in corporate communications or advertising or PR, this is one of the books you should own so that you can grab hold of it to read every now and then, after you have already devoured it whole once. To read more from my blog post about this wonderful book written by a brilliant writer, go here: [...].

Good book for guiding about non fiction writing.. Not recommended for fiction writing .. Nicely explained with examples from American writers

Such a wonderful and exquisite learning tool. Just a mere reading taught me a lot. I, without wasting a single second thought of gifting it to the most deserving. My happiness knew no bounds when I saw that person reading it analytically and grasping the message on the go.I strongly believe that this budding litterateur shall definitely rise up with a creative work jaded and jazzed up with jewels of words and garlands of phrases. I recommend it for all and sundry. If "On Writing Well" is read along with "The Elements of Style", the combination can help one assimilate and accumulate wealth of knowledge about the nuances of the literature world. Read and relish the jelly-jam churned out like fresh butter with honey drops falling on it.

It is, as the author has put it, a complementary book to the masterpiece written by E.B.White.But it is much more than that. Its like trying to find your own mind as a writer. I absolutely loved reading the examples and the ways in which Zinsser has explained the craft of writing. I guess after reading the book , I have a feeling that maybe all of the users may not able to make an art of writing, but most of us can learn the craft well. I thank the author for writing so well on writing well!

The book content is good as expected but the paper quality is too cheap. It cost 600 rupees for a mere 300 pages, atleast print it in good quality paper. (3 star for its content)

Good book to bring clarity, cut clutter, sharpen your writing skills and connect with readers.

Excellent book to learn to improve any kind of writing style - fiction, non fiction, day to day communication. William explains the core principles in a simple yet effective manner. At times I did feel like some theories/examples were being repeated so some skimming will be needed. But once you find those gems of wisdom, it is absolutely worth the read. A classic on the art of writing well!

Writing a book, on writing well, must be an enormously difficult task. It is more likely to be brutally judged. But Willam as done a beautiful job on this book and has demnstrated his narrative skills in the best way possible. This book has given me new insights on writing and i hope i will be able to retain these learning for a long time

Spedizione arrivata in tempo, oggetto come da descrizione, libro ben scritto.

This was recommended to me on X when I asked how I can become a better copywriter. I was not disappointed. Great ideas about how to write, why to write and the technicalities in the middle. If you are interested in writing commercially or otherwise, it's a great primer on writing with no assumed knowledge. I admit he is a bit left leaning politically however it's not strong and easily dismissed. Good read

Good writing cannot be achieved unless the writer can organise his thoughts, first in his mind, then on paper. Even as I write this review, the lessons I learned in the chapters of On Writing Well are fresh in my mind. The book not only helped me develop the rigour and clarity in my writing, it also sparked a new enthusiasm to not just write, but write well. William Zinsser tells with clear examples that clutter and clichés in writing are present everywhere, we read them so often that we’ve become numb, narrowing our sense of what a good piece of writing looks like. Then he elegantly shows what it looks like. Humour and optimism are “lubricants in writing”, it also requires “a good musical ear, a sense of rhythm and a feeling for words”, he says. My favourite chapter of this book is A Writer’s Decision in which William Zinsser deconstructs one of his travel piece on Timbuktu, which had appeared in Condé Nast Traveller magazine. Leading up to that section, with my fresh pair of reading eyes and heightened reading senses, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. That chapter summed it up for me, the experiences of Timbuktu lingered for several days in my mind, so did the intertwined writing lessons. I imagined that I was reading the Timbuktu article in the magazine and thought, “how could someone, after reading it, not want to visit Timbuktu and relive for themselves what William Zinsser did”. The book is neatly organised, starting with the fundamental principles of writing, followed by the methods to use during the execution. At this point you’re hooked which is when he takes you with him to dive deep and long into the various forms of writing — such as an interview, a travel, a business, or a science article — each consisting of some brilliant examples to take home an important lesson. In the last section, he covers attitudes which one can develop to become a complete writer. Never ever will I be fooled and mislead again by a poor piece of writing even if it appears in the most prestigious publication. On the other hand, I’ve realised that a fresh piece can appear even in the least reputed newspaper.

William Zinsser’s classic on writing addresses the big issues for contemporary writers. He is both inspiring and effective in showing the areas where one needs to apply oneself.

Zinsser's book is top-notch. It provides solid, easy to remember guidelines for how to make your writing cleaner and crisper. I am a writer and have to write both academic and popular pieces, and this book really helped me to understand the difference in writing styles and how to improve my own style. Zinsser takes you through the various styles of writing (and types, e.g. sports, fiction, etc.) and explains the do's and don'ts of each. The best part about the book is that the guidelines are easy to remember, such as (paraphrasing) don't use more words when less can do the same job. One big plus is that the book is also very humourous and provides great examples to follow along with. A lot of people shy away from writing books because a) there are so many out there that it's intimidating to choose one, and b) most are generally quite pedantic and boring. Zinsser's book, on the other hand, is quite engaging for a "how to" book and stands above the rest because it combines easy-to-use guidelines with solid examples and a good wit. After just one read through I found my writing improving very quickly, and since then I always have it close at hand. Even after many years this is still one of the best writing books, and along with Strunk and White's "The Element's of Style" this is one of the classic, must-have writing guides. This book has greatly improved my writing. I plan to have it on my bookshelf for life, and to consult it often!