I wanted to be a writer when I was 15 years old. I wanted to tell stories that are important and enjoyable. After practicing writing for the last 4 years, I published my first book this year in May. If I have to say I owe my accomplishment to someone, that would be William Zinsser, the author of On Writing Well.
The biggest enemy of good writing is information overload and unnecessary words. Writing has to be simplified. You need to remove the clutter; this includes unwanted sentences, verbs, and adjectives.
Remember that good writing is the result of clear writing. While writing, ask yourself, ‘What am I trying to say here?’ This helps you to clarify your thoughts. The reader would have a hard time finding the flow if your writing had jargon.
Another mistake authors make is they think about mass audiences while writing. That’s not productive. You need to write a book or an article for yourself. You have to be honest and write what you have in your mind. It builds authenticity.
After completing your first draft, read your text aloud. Every sentence has its rhythm. It is important to choose your words carefully so that they don’t disturb the flow of reading. Also, writing demands confidence. If you use ‘a bit,’ ‘somewhat disturb,’ or ‘sort of,’ it dilutes your style.
Of all things, for good writing, the text needs to have unity. In other words, an order. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is beautiful chaos, but it has an order. When a text or film has an order, it satisfies the reader’s subconscious, and he/she is more likely to be hooked on your writing/film.
I recommend this book to you if you are aspiring to be a writer and have no idea where to start.
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