OK then – the first section of the book talks about the Principles of writing, the chapters that are the most humorous to me…staying true as a writer for your reader, cutting out the clutter, finding your style, slang and jargon words (when to use them or not use them) and common usage.

Section two – the Methods section – had the potential to be the driest and most boring section but William Zinsser manages to make it readable. Chapters there are Unity, Lead and Ending, and “Bits & Pieces”. Lovely.

The third section is the most useful for long-term reference (in my opinion) – the Forms section. Each chapter discusses tips and tricks for various forms of non-fiction writing including Interviews, Travel Articles, Memoir, Science and Tech writing, Business Writing, Sports, Critics/Columnists, and Humor! Whew! It is the only section where everything he says may not be applicable to fiction writing.

Part 4 discusses Attitudes. Oh yes. Do I ever need this section! *laughing* My favorite chapter is “The Sound of Your Voice” – or at least it should be according to my husband. There are also chapters about Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence, The Tyranny of the Final Product, a Writer’s Decisions, Writing Family History and Memoir, Write as Well as You Can.

All told, I find this book a strong encouragement as a writer and I think many of the concepts would apply to ANY writer, regardless of genre.

Better? *wink*

Angela <