Blog Post 1.2: Zinsser – Trimming Tenaciously
The Zinsser lesson that I most appreciated and took to heart was from the Chapter 3 lessons on clarity. Improving clarity is something I’m trying to become better at and smoothing the flow of my writing is one of my major goals. I believe lack of clarity is a barrier to great writing because it usually correlates with wordiness and lack of rhythm.
On page 17 of my edition, it states “Look for the clutter in your writing and prune it ruthlessly.” This lesson resonated with me because we also learned that from master storyteller Ira Glass, someone I respect immensely. Zinsser goes on to share that “we should be grateful for everything we throw away”- a maxim that at first seems counter-intuitive but makes perfect sense in our cluttered world. I tried to apply it by stripping things down from my first essay, getting the point across without painstakingly describing every scene, such as the doctor’s office. I was hesitant in the past to cut my writing and it still is pretty painful (you are in effect, rejecting yourself), but I’m embracing it because I hope it will ultimately lead to a better outcome.
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