Tag Archives: William Zinsser

Entertainment Value

Posted on July 25, 2014 by karinwritesdangerously

“When I tell aspiring writers that they should think of themselves as part entertainers, they don’t like to hear it — the word smacks of carnivals and jugglers and clowns. But to succeed you must make your piece jump out … Continue reading →

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Clutter Control

Posted on April 30, 2013 by karinwritesdangerously

“Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon.” “People read with their ears, whether they know it or not.” William Zinsser On the bookshelves of many … Continue reading →

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By Imitation

Posted on March 15, 2013 by karinwritesdangerously

“Writing is learned by imitation; we all need models.” William Zinsser Our boy Willie is a busy fellow! He’s the author of a classic guide which I’ve drawn on for many a post called On Writing Well (see Ink Think … Continue reading →

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Energetic Endings

Posted on June 14, 2011 by karinwritesdangerously

“The perfect ending should take the reader slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right to him…. It is like the curtain line in a theatrical comedy. We are in the middle of a scene (we think) when suddenly one … Continue reading →

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Ink Think

Posted on April 9, 2011 by karinwritesdangerously

“Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.” William Zinsser “Composition is a discipline; it forces us to think. If you want to ‘get in touch with your feelings,’ fine; we all do. But if you want to … Continue reading →

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Inner Ear

Posted on December 6, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

Tough night:  just spent about two hours revising four pages of a key scene for my YA novel. I made the revisions by reading my draft aloud — it’s amazing what a difference this makes! When your tongue stumbles over … Continue reading →

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Clutter Patrol

Posted on December 1, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

“Good writing has an aliveness that keeps the reader from one paragraph to the next, and it’s not a question of gimmicks to ‘personalize’ the author. It’s a question of using the English language in a way that will achieve … Continue reading →

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Three Agreements

Posted on October 3, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

“In truth, I never consider the audience for whom I’m writing. I just write what I want to write.” J.K. Rowling “Who am I writing for?” It is a fundamental question and it has a fundamental answer: you are writing … Continue reading →

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