on writing well
TRANSCRIPT
On Writing Well
William Zinsser
The shed in Niantic, Connecticut, where William Zinsser wrote“On Writing Well” in the summer of 1974.
Clutter
“Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds –the writer is always
slightly behind.”
What do you think clutter means in the text?
Clutter
Some examples of clutter
Rewrite this passage to avoid the use of he and himself.
Exchange your writing with a classmate and “prune it ruthlessly” circling in pencil the
words you think clutter their work.
Brainstorm ideas to answer this question.
Finish the second sentence by writing an over simple one and exchange it with your classmates for them to make it a little more sophisticated.
Source: On Writing Well, An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William ZinsserAvailable at Mediateca CIC