#102 | 7 Principles to Writing Well
A collection of the best hidden gems, mental models, and frameworks from the world’s top thinkers; to help you become 1% better and live a happier life ❤️
Hello curious minds 🧠
I want to write a book.
A non-fiction book.
My goal is to start the book writing journey writing the book this year; after I wrap up my PhD.
Meanwhile, I am learning the process of writing how to write a book and figuring out what are the components that parts make up a good non-fiction book.
I also want to get better at writing.
And so, on top of practicing writing weekly, I also read books on how to write well, how to write useful non-fiction books, and study good non-fiction books. make notes on non-fiction books that are good and study how they have done it.
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✍🏻 7 Principles to Writing Well
I am currently back-burning the book On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser.
Here are the 7 principles I learned from the book on how to write better:
1. The Personal Transaction
Writing is about sharing a piece of yourself on paper.
Yet, many people don’t write naturally. They try to please others, caring too much about what people think.
What makes a writer's work special isn't just the topic; it's the writer's excitement for their subject.
Ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is… what holds me is the enthusiasm of the writer for his field
— The Transaction chapter
There's no one-size-fits-all way to write personally. Any method that helps you say what you want is the right method for you.
2. Simplicity
Keep it simple stupid.
Make every sentence simple. Cut out unnecessary words, shorten long ones, and simplify complicated ones.
When editing your writing, think “How can I simplify this?”.
But, before you can simplify, you need to be clear about what you are trying to say: “What am I trying to say?”
Remember, keep it simple.
3. Clutter
Look at every word you wrote. You'll be surprised at how many don't serve a purpose. A trick is to put brackets around words or phrases that don't mean anything.
4. Style
If I eliminate everything you think is clutter and strip every sentence to its barest bones, will there be anything left of me?
— Style chapter
Before you build your style, clear out the extra stuff and simplify sentences. The most important rule is to be yourself. That means being relaxed and confident.
Writing is like having a personal conversation on paper, so use "I," "me," "we," and "us." If you're not comfortable with "I," at least think it while you write.
Believe in your own identity and your own opinions.
Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it
— Style chapter
5. The Audience
You're writing for yourself. People don't know what they want to read until they read it. Write for yourself first.
Don't worry too much about whether readers like you or what you say. Focus on getting good at writing and saying what you want. Be yourself when you write. Your audience is you.
Be yourself when you write.
Write for yourself; an audience of one.— The Audience chapter
6. Words
Avoid using cheap, made-up, or overused words. Respect words and be curious about what they mean.
Learn from good writers today. Imitation is a great way to learn. The thesaurus is like a word choice guide. Think about how words sound when you put them together. Use words in a new and careful way.
7. Usage
How you use words matters.
What makes a word good or bad isn't always clear. But it's good to use simple and clear language. Avoid using jargon, which is fancy or technical language.
Good usage means using clear words that already exist to talk to someone else. Keep it simple and avoid using complicated words just to sound smart.
Good usage is about using good words if they already exist, as they almost always do, to express myself clearly and simply to someone else
— Usage chapter
📚 This week, I finished reading…
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With love,
Ryan O. 🎮
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