Writing
One executive suggests a discipline — putting down first what you want the reader to do, next the three most important things the reader needs to understand to take that action, then starting to write. When you’re done, he suggests asking
Kenneth Roman • Writing That Works
A good editor is someone who uses deliberate subtraction to actually add life to the ideas, setting, plot, and characters
#084 ✰ are you an essentialist?
Good editing means taking away things that don't help the story so the important parts can shine and feel alive.
Most first drafts can be cut by 50 percent without losing any information or losing the author’s voice.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Next the lead must do some real work. It must provide hard details that tell the reader why the piece was written and why he ought to read it.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless large and small deliberations. All the elements of good writing depend on the writer’s skill in choosing one word instead of another. And what grabs and keeps our interest has everything to do with... See more
Maria Popova • How to Read Like a Writer
writing wasn’t easy and wasn’t fun. It was hard and lonely, and the words seldom just flowed.