On Writing Well. Significant Sentences. Continued.

Significant Sentences: On Writing Well. William Zinsser. Continued.

"I would say...that 'prioritize' is jargon--a pompous new verb that sounds more important than 'rank'--and that 'bottom line' is usage, a metaphor borrowed from the world of bookkeeping which conveys an image that we can picture." p. 48.

"The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis." p. 53.

"All writing is ultimately a question of solving a problem...where to obtain facts...how to organize the material...a problem of approach or attitude, tone or style." p. 53.

"Unity is the anchor of good writing." p. 54.

Examples of style: "...impersonal reportorial; personal but formal; personal and casual." P. 56.

Examples of attitudes: "...involved; detached; judgmental." p. 56.

"What one point do I really want to make?" p. 56.

"...every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he didn't have before." p. 56.

"The most important sentence in any article is the first one.... [If it ] doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead.... Each [sentence] tugging the reader forward until he is safely hooked...." p. 59.

"In fact, you should give as much thought to choosing your last sentence as you did to your first." p. 70.

"But what often works best [in the ending] is a quotation." p. 73.

To be continued.