Classic Book on Writing Remains Relevant for Modern Writers

By Ricky Marte

Wenham, MA - During a time when it is so easy to just get lost in the world of instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and blogging, and where it has become commonplace to replace phrases like "talk to you later" with "ttyl" and "laugh out loud" with "lol," it is increasingly difficult to make a case for the old fashioned. But take one step into the newsroom, and you'll see just the opposite.

William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well has a very profound influence on the writers of this generation. "I find Zinsser's book really helpful," says sophomore Amber Fiedler, 18. "It's simple and basic, which makes the text easy to understand. The book is a good turn to when trying to better one's writing skills." It is extremely vital in this society of "tweets" and "status updates" to remember how exactly to write correctly. Zinsser wrote On Writing Well over thirty years ago, but it remains completely relevant and timeless. The reason it will forever remain relevant is not necessarily anything that blows you away in the book. More so, it is that good writing is just that. The world will always need good writers, and Zinsser teaches how to write well.

"After reading Zinsser I feel like I am allowed to be myself more when I write," says Junior Jon Knudtson, 20. "This makes writing much easier in general and helps me stay more relaxed." As a writer it is important to be yourself and to add your own little flair to anything you write. Zinsser seems to agree. "Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions." Zinsser really hammers the point that you should write for yourself and not for others. At the end of the day, it's really up to the writer what the want to write about. Zinsser says to "Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it."