Vigorous writing is concise. -- William Strunk Jr.

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a

paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should

have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not

that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and

treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

 

As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with

the beginning.

 

Fortunately, the act of composition, or creation, disciplines the mind; writing                                                

is one way to go about thinking, and the practice and habit of writing not only                                                

drain the mind but supply it, too.

 

A careful and honest writer does not need to worry about style. As you become                                                  

proficient in the use of language, your style will emerge, because you yourself                                                

will emerge, and when this happens you will find it increasingly easy to

breakthrough the barriers that separate you from other minds, other hearts -

which is, of course, the purpose of writing, as well as its principal reward.                                                  

 

Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true                                                    

writer always plays to an audience of one.

 

 

[7grizzly]

No need to say sorry!

Sensitivity is a good thing for writing. But my skin has been thick enough not
to feel bad about mistakes. Trying to fix them is what I enjoy doing in
re-writing.

Yes. I believe he meant the most important person the writer has to please is
oneself and not the crowd. I think Steven Pressfield who wrote "The War of Art"
and William Zinsser, the author of "On Writing Well," both expressed similar
opinions in different ways.

[暖冬cool夏]

Brevity is key.
Sorry for all the mistakes in my comments, like "ignore" should really be "disregard", and inappropriate use of "take it for granted" etc.

--and the true writer always plays to an audience of one.-- Does that mean that the true writer only writes for the sole audience of himself or herself?

writer always plays to an audience of one.

[7grizzly]

回複 '暖冬cool夏' 的評論 : Thank you, 暖冬, for reading and sharing your thoughts. Yes. I came to the same conclusion: these truths are easier said than done.

But I wouldn't worry too much about the benefits. If I keep at it and keep some ideas in mind, e.g., the first two points above, I'll have a chance. Maybe the doing itself, like meditation, is good enough.

[暖冬cool夏]

Very true and instructive. I love all the points there. But it is not easy to adhere to.
Brevity is the key. But isn't there also as aying that the devil is in the details?:))
The practice and habit of writing not only drain the mind but supply it. --- Hope one day I will find the joy and benefit of writing:))