How to write well • stevegrossi • note.garden

The two foundational questions to good writing, according to On Writing Well are:

What am I trying to say?
Have I said it? Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time?

The author, William Zinsser, shares a heavily marked-up draft of this very section of the book which was itself already the product of four or five rewrites.

With each rewrite 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 aloud, and am always amazed at ohw much clutter can still be cut.

This reminds me of how as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Write Music

“So write a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ear. Don’t just write words. Write music.”

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An interactive essay about writing more simply to make writing more readable for everyone, especially people with intellectual disabilities.