On Writing Well
An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
by William Zinsser · first published 1976
81% recommend17% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, accessible guide to nonfiction writing, with real rough-draft examples and a standout chapter on simplicity. Pushes succinct, clear prose; suits programmers and anyone whose job involves writing.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In addition to exploring the techniques of nonfiction writing, Zinsser discusses sexism in writing, jargon, and psychological writing blocks.
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…Kahenman. If you have difficulty interacting with people 1. How to win friends and influence people (Easy read) 2. Seven habits of highly effective people (Harder read) To learn how to write well: On writing well To understand how large products are made: Show Stopper!: The Breakneck Race to Create Windows NT
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗…someone could find clichés. Nonetheless they're pervasive enough to detract from the piece. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get Write Right! (my favorite short, pithy writing book) and William Zissner's On Writing Well.
on “My First Job Interview was with a Billionaire” ↗…because the theme is so compelling. The Right Stuff is not the usual book you see in a best-of list, but for me, it should be in all these lists. Heck, writing from it is used as example of good writing in On Writing Well (which is surprisingly a very good read). The Long Goodbye, by Chandler. Chandler is great, period. Having one of his books in this lists validates other books I'd never consider... Even though you can't…
on “Books to Read in a Lifetime” ↗When I was working on my book O'Reilly sent me a copy of "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser (http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/...). I read the entire book and I thought it was well worth it. One of his best pieces of advice is to end each paragraph…
on “Best Writing Advice for Engineers I've Ever Seen.” ↗The best book I have ever read (and continue to re-read) on writing is "On Writing Well" by William K. Zinsser. Mostly the first half of the book - it's incredibly valuable.
on “Ask HN: Good books for English writing?” ↗I would add "The Elements of Style" by Strunk. I think it is a classic in that area. Edit: Also "On Writing Well" by Zinsser, another classic.
on “Books and papers every graduate student should read” ↗…Everything and still Win Big by Scott Adams. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers has been great. Linchpin by Seth Godin was suggested by a friend across the Atlantic and it turned out to be really good. On Writing Well by William Zinsser was great.
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite audio book?” ↗Compound this and the likelihood that many line counts are counting method artefacts, and the end ratio is probably more around 3:1. For anyone writing non-fiction, I would highly recommend the book "on writing well" by William Zinsser, who also stresses the importance of editing relentlessly your draft.
on “The 10:1 rule of writing and programming” ↗I've taken the class within Amazon. Honestly there isn't anything that you couldn't get by simply reading and applying the advice from "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White[1] and "On Writing Well" by Zinsser [2]. The primary philosophy is that if you can't write well, then you haven't thought it through. The act of writing is an act of reasoning. 0. Practice in a strong feedback loop. This applies…
on “Undervalued Engineering Skills: Writing Well” ↗William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well” is also quite illuminating in regards to writing non-fiction. https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060891541/on-writing-well/
on “On Technical Writing” ↗…and Solutions" by Gayle Laakmann McDowell Publisher: CareerCup "What Intelligence Tests Miss: The Psychology of Rational Thought" by Keith E. Stanovich Publisher: Yale University Press "On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction" by William Zinsser Publisher: Harper Perennial "Darwin's Theorem" by TJ Radcliffe Publisher: Siduri Press "Knowing and…
on “Top Books on Amazon Based on Links in Hacker News Comments” ↗…it. I think writing well is important but I think more focus should be put on writing succinctly. Because if you write succinctly it forces you to be clear. This is the theory of William Zinsser's On Writing Well (http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-30th-Anniversary-Nonficti...). It's one of my favorite books and its primary point is that verbosity is the enemy of clarity and therefore the clearest sentence is…
on “The Importance of Writing Well” ↗Leadership: Theory and Practice (Peter Northouse) The Craft of Research (Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams) On Writing Well (Zig Ziglar)
on “Ask HN: Books that changed your life?” ↗…regularly: 1) Write Right! (a simple, ~90 page book on grammar and rules that will see you through 99% of situations); 2) How Fiction Works, by James Wood (which is mostly about noticing what you read); 3) On Writing Well by William Zissner (a perennial recommendation); 4) On Writing by Steven King (which is so fun to read that it's hard _not_ to recommend).
on “How to get better at writing” ↗On Writing Well by William Zinsser was a great book on writing. Though it's a bit more conceptual than Strunk and White.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗