Blogpost 1.2 My least favorite Zinssers advise on writing well.
In general, I liked the authors advises on writing. I paid my attention to some of them (like “think broadly about your assignment”, “push the boundaries of your subject” or “bring some part of your life in it” (p.250). Still, I could not agree with this one: “Never hesitate to imitate another writer. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art of a craft” (p.238). Yes, I agree, imitation is the key in learning, but this is something different. You will never find your own voice imitating someone else. Yes, you can read lots of books, but not imitate them, to my mind, this can kill your own voice which can be just being formed.
This quote from the Zinssers “On Writing Well” was my favorite: “Dying is no big deal. Living is the trick” (p.247).
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