William Zinsser – författare

Two must-have classics together in one volume, On Writing Well and How to Write a Memoir, from acclaimed writer, editor, and scholar William Zinsser

""On Writing Well is a bible for a generation of writers looking for clues to clean, compelling prose."" –New York Times

On Writing Well, which grew out of a course that William Zinsser taught at Yale, has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity, and for the warmth of its style. It is a book for anybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you both fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished practitioner. With over a million copies in print, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valued resource for writers and would-be writers.

Whether you''re a professional writer or just want to write a personal or family reminisce, Zinsser explains, in warm anecdotal detail in How to Write a Memoir, how a memoir is different from an autobiography; what makes a good memoir and a bad memoir; how to decide what part of your life to write about, and how to be true to your own personality and voice. Throughout he cites examples from the work of successful memoir writers including Annie Dillard, Frank McCourt, and Eudora Welty, demonstrating how they solved problems of compression, focus, and tone, often overcoming early mistakes that took them in the wrong direction.

“William Zinsser turns his zest, warmth and curiosity—his sharp but forgiving eye—on his own story. The result is lively, funny and moving, especially for anyone who cares about art and the business of writing well.”—Evan Thomas, Newsweek

In Writing Places, William Zinsser—the author of On Writing Well, the bestseller that has inspired two generations of writers, journalists, and students—recalls the many colorful and instructive places where he has worked and taught. Gay Talese, author of A Writer’s Life, calls Writing Places, “Wonderful,” while the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praises this unique memoir for possessing “all the qualities that Zinsser believes matter most in good writing—clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity.”

This is an essential book for everyone who wants to write clearly about any subject and use writing as a means of learning.

In this helpful and entertaining book the author of the classic On Writing Well explains that he has always had a love of paper and a fear of mechanical objects. He describes how he confronted his hang-ups, got a word processor, taught himself to use it and gradually overcame his sense of inferiority to the machine. He explains how the word processor—by enabling him to revise his work instantly on a screen—has changed his lifelong methods of writing, rewriting and editing.

But William Zinsser''s book isn''t only for writers. It''s for all the people who have to do any kind of writing—memos, letters, reports, directives—as part of their working day. It explains how the word processor will save time and money in an office or a corporation and predicts that it will soon be our primary writing tool.

On one level Writing with a Word Processor is a manual for beginners that describes clearly and simply how to use the new technology. But it is also one writer''s story. William Zinsser takes the reader along on a highly personal journey, writing with warmth and humor about his anxieties and fears, his setbacks and triumphs. His book is both an informal guide and an encouraging companion.

On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sole, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.