212 Quotes by William Zinsser

One of the saddest sentences I know is “I wish I had asked my mother about that.” Or my father. Or my grandmother. Or my grandfather. As every parent knows, our children are not as fascinated by our fascinating lives as we are.

There’s not much to be said about the period except that most writers don’t reach it soon enough.

If you write for yourself, you’ll reach all the people you want to write for.

Writers are the custodians of memory, and that’s what this chapter is about: how to leave some kind of record of your life and of the family you were born into.

When you’re ready to stop, stop. If you have presented all the facts and made the point you want to make, look for the nearest exit.

Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us to find out what we know-and what we don’t know-about whatever we’re trying to learn.

Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic’s quiver – words like “enthralling” and “luminous.”

It is a fitting irony that under Richard Nixon, “launder” became a dirty word.

You’ll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want.