Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think

Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

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There are Newton’s three laws that describe

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

the motion of material objects, the three laws of thermodynamics that describe things related to heat, four of Maxwell’s equations that describe electricity and magnetism, the single principle of general relativity that describes gravity, and a few more laws (depending on which philosopher of science you talk to) for quantum mechanics, the physics

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the tendency of energy is to decay in usefulness—a change for the worse known as entropy. I found it consoling after all these years to learn that writers are up against nothing less than the fundamental anarchy of the universe; entropy, prince of disorder, is sprinkling noise on everything we write.

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

ENJOYMENT.

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

VISIBLE DETAIL

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

Active verbs are a writer’s best friend. Not every concept noun can be turned into an active verb. But how many people are even trying?

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

Paret died on his feet. As he took those eighteen punches something happened to everyone who was in psychic range of the event. Some part of his death reached out to us. One felt it hover in the air. He was still standing in the ropes, trapped as he had been before, he gave some little half-smile of regret, as if he were saying, “I didn’t know I wa