Most advice I hear can usually be classified as inspiring but not very helpful. However, this week surprised me as I read the words from William Zinsser, in his book On Writing Well. I found his words refreshingly honest when he explained that we should be writing for ourselves rather than for the audience. But earlier in the book, he had explained that the writer needs to make sure that their words don’t confuse or loose the reader. That it is easier to surrender to distractions than to continue reading. But his contradicting advice seems to go together. To become a good writer, we must consider both…

I agree with Zinsser that the only way for a reader to want to keep reading will be to identify with us and to understand us! We should be careful to not be too egotistical or attempt to show off in our writing. Especially in today’s world, where distractions happen every few seconds, the reader’s attention should be a top priority to a writer! We need to remember all the other things our readers could be doing, so our words must capture their minds and provoke them to continue.  

Additional articles I read also agreed that when we know our audience, we can structure our work better and can easily create a connection with them. Once we have that connection, it will be easy to have them empathize and feel what we are writing about. We want them to easily follow along with our ideas and to not confuse them or assume they know everything we know. Writing this way may then challenge us to find our own style, which can help us stand out. That is where Zinsser’s advice about writing for ourselves comes in.

It’s easy to spot when a writer has true passion for a topic and remains themselves throughout their whole written piece. It can be seen almost instantly and makes for an enjoyable reading experience. We all want to create this environment for our audience and Zinsser makes a great point that even though thinking about the reader is important, you won’t get much writing done unless you stay true to your thoughts and self. I also believe that we should not worry if we are liked, or if there is enough humor in our piece. But instead write because we have something to say and great ideas to share. When we relax and have space to be ourselves, our true writing identity can shine. Even Kip Langelo, a novelist, explains that when we master the art of staying true to ourselves, naturally our writing will be interesting to others. It may not be for everyone, but it will be for certain people, and those people are your readers, your followers, your audience that will enjoy your work!

As I remember these important words of Zinsser, I am reminded that writing is not as straight forward as I once thought. There can be real struggle in writing and perfecting what we say. But most importantly, writing is a skill learned and most certainly earned.