path: root/jones-la/zinsser-annotation.tex

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\input mla8.tex

%%Annotations should include:
% - Unknown Vocabulary
% - Themes and Support Quotations
% - Strong language/passages
% - Shifts in POV or tone
% - Author's tone and author's purpose
% - Short personal reflections grouped by chapter
% - Anything else that resonates with me

\countdef\partnum=2
\def\part#1{\advance\partnum by 1{\twelvebf Part \uppercase\expandafter{\romannumeral\the\partnum}: #1\/}}

\countdef\chapnum=1
\def\chapter#1{\advance\chapnum by 1{\twelvebf Chapter \the\chapnum: #1\/}}

\def\word#1#2{{\twelveit #1:\/} #2}

\long\def\reflection#1{#1\smallskip\hrule\smallskip}

\def\note#1{Note: #1}

\def\ifquoted{\expandafter\iftrue \def\ifquoted{\iffalse}}
\def\quote#1#2{``#1'' \cite{\ifquoted \newcite \nameinline \fi
  \name{Zinsser}{Zinsser, William}%
  \contain{On Writing Well}%
  \publish{Harper Perennial}%
  \pubdate{2006}%
  \pagenum{#2}%
}}

%%actual document
\name{Holden} \last{Rohrer}
\prof{Jones}
\header
\title{Running annotation of William Zinsser's {\fourteenit On Writing Well}}

\part{Principles,} \chapter{The Transaction}

\word{Bohemian}{(adj) socially unconventional in an artistic way}
\word{Walden Pond}{a lake in Concord, Massachusetts}

\quote{I was asked if I would come and talk about writing as a vocation $\ldots$ He was going to talk about writing as an avocation}{3}. \quote{Writing is a craft, not an art}{4}. \quote{There isn't any `right' way to do such personal work}{5}.

\reflection{This chapter is an explanation of why teaching good writing is difficult. The first concern is easily summed up: writing styles differ significantly from person to person, as told through the story of Dr.~Brock, the avocational writer, and the authors' panel. Zinsser boils it down to a few relevant essentials in the end: writing is a vulnerable and thus tense act (explain), writers have to compel the reader to continue reading exclusively with good writing, and good nonfiction writing consists of a writer showing their own humanity, warmth, and enthusiasm with clear and strong prose.}

\chapter{Simplicity}

\quote{Our national tendency is to inflate and thereby sound important $\ldots$ But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components}{6}. \quote{Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one cannot exist without the other}{8}. \quote{Writers must therefore constantly ask: what am I trying to say? Surprisingly often they don't know}{9}. \quote{If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard}{9}.

\word{Mollify}{(verb) appease the anger or anxiety of someone} \word{Bearded}{boldly confronted or challenged}

\reflection{This chapter describes, instructionally, the mechanical act of writing. I find this very helpful, in contrast to the majority of wishy-washy writing advice commonly provided by other writers of the ``write your passion'' sort. While writing, of course, isn't a purely mechanical process, it isn't ethereal, so it can be broken down into the simple process of 1) determining ideas, 2) writing those ideas, and 3) rewriting those ideas to sound clearer to the easily-distracted reader.}

\chapter{Clutter}

\word{Laborious}{(of speech or writing style) showing obvious signs of effort and lacking in fluency}. \word{Ponderous}{dull, laborious, or excessively solemn}

\quote{\thinspace`In the unlikely possibility that the aircraft should experience such an eventuality,' she begins---a phrase so oxygen-depriving in itself that we are prepared for any disaster}{13} 

\note{Zinsser says \quote{Simplify, simplify}{16} Instead, he could have used the more traditional ``simplify, simplify, simplify,'' but this leaves a very lasting impression of the admonition to remove useless words even if they sound beautiful.}

\reflection{This chapter repeats the last chapter's major messages from a different angle, motivations. It explains that clutter obscures and inflates, so it makes truth cloudier, less meaningful, and falsely important. It, slightly satirically, provides ?tons? of evidence for clutter's inefficiency and inefficacy.}

\chapter{Style}

\word{Finials}{an ornament at the top, end, or corner of an object} \word{August}{respected and impressive}

\quote{Trying to add style is like adding a toupee. At first glance the foremerly bald man looks young and even handsome. But at second glance---and with a toupee there's always a second glance---he doesn't look quite right}{18}

\quote{Writing is an intimate transaction between two people, conducted on paper, and it will go well to the extent that it retains its humanity.}{20}

\reflection{Zinsser recognizes that writers fail to express their own style because they are too ``tense.'' This explains a lot of flow and writer's block problems as he mentions near the end, and it gives me a useful lens into my cognition: I often can't write effectively, so instead I fill up a page with useless blather. Instead, I could have actually said something and presented the much more compelling ``warmth and humanity,'' as explicitly sought out by this book (5).}

\chapter{The Audience}

\word{Garrulous}{excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters}, \word{Vaudeville}{a type of entertainment popular chiefily in the US in the artly 20th century, featuring a mixture of specialty acts such as burlesque comedy and song and dance}, \word{Infidel}{adhering to a religion other than one's own}, \word{Consecrated}{(of a church or land) having been made or declared sacred}, \word{Reread Monkey Trial passage!!!}{43}, \word{Mountebank}{a person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money}, \word{Mirthful}{merry or amusing} \word{Kowtow}{act in an excessively subservient manner}, \word{Curry}{(``Curry Favor'') ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behavior}, \word{Tendentious}{expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one}

\quote{You are writing primarily to please yourself, and if you go about it with enjoyment you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for}{24}

\reflection{Foremost, this chapter deals with reassuring the reader of his/her style---he uses several examples of professional writers' style to prove that good style is about the writer's personality, unrelated from what the audience prefers. Also, he reaffirms the idea that a writer writes to show his or her ideas, so they should proudly show those off, damned the consequences.}%too informal??

\chapter{Words}

\quote{Make a habit of reading what is being written today and what was written by earlier masters.}{34}

\reflection{This chapter describes the tools useful for writing: thesauruses, dictionaries, and dictionaries of synonyms. It also describes the writers' objective when using these tools: to choose good words because of both how they sound and what, precisely, they mean. Zinsser gives a useful way to improve this skill, other than the aforementioned books: to read as much good writing as possible. I think I often fail in this respect. I rely too much on the dictionary instead of developing my internal sense of what words mean.}

\chapter{Usage}

\word{Argot}{jargon or slang of a particular group or class}, \word{Pudgy}{slightly fat}, \word{Genteelism}{a word or expression used because it is thought to be socially more acceptable than the everyday word}, \word{Genteel}{Polite, refined, or respectable, often in an affected or ostentatious way}, \word{Picayune}{petty; worthless} \word{Sardonic}{grimly mocking or cynical} \word{Affected}{artificial, pretentious, and designed to impress}

\note{Zinsser uses humourous examples frequently like \quote{You might say it's how I verbalize the interpersonal}{45} The stylistic choice is very entertaining, and shows his personality well.}

\reflection{``Usage'' is a display of Zinsser's heuristics and biases around how he and others should use words. His repetition that usage is a ``gray $\ldots$ area'' (37) is reassuring that none of these suggestions are hard and fast rules, but the specific guidelines of clarity, precision, and jargon vs. real need are helpful.}

\part{Methods,} \chapter{Unity}

\word{Ebb}{gradually lessen or reduce}, \word{Edifice}{a complex system of beliefs} %or a building, especially a large imposing one

\reflection{Zinsser's observations remain very concrete and specific in this chapter. His audience-centric point of view is rightfully critical of confusing writing, and he exemplifies inconsistency as the most common cause of confusing writing. Inconsistency in tense, tone, and person are fairly obvious because a reader can't determine what is meant by the author if the tone changes from satirical to impersonal, for example. The less obvious unities he lists, amount of coverage and lasting impression, have the same problem. Any choice for these unities work, according to Zinsser, so the choice must be deliberate. However, it is okay to change while writing a piece, which gives me solace.}

\chapter{The Lead and the Ending}

\word{Discursively}{digressing from subject to subject}, \word{Felicitously}{pleasing and fortunate}, \word{Fealty}{formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord}, \word{Epigrammatic}{of the nature or in the style of an epigram; concise, clever, and amusing}, \word{Adduced}{cited as evidence}

\quote{The lead must do some real work. It must provide hard details that tell the reader why the piece was written and why he ought to read it}{55}

\quote{This is not the `breakfast to bed' format used by inexperienced writers}{61}

\reflection{The lead (introduction) section of this chapter has advice relatively close to standard writing instruction manuals. It's useful in that it decries a certain degree of liberty to the writer. The conclusion section, however, stands in stark contrast to typical instruction---and Zinsser knows this. Because the typical advice is so bad at explaining how to work towards a good conclusion, I've looked into ways of masking the ``in sum,'' ``in conclusion,'' and ``notably'' mess which normally shows up. None of them work however, because of such a conclusion's core, Zinsser is spot-on: the writer is ``cranking'' unnecessary words, and ``the reader quits.''}

\chapter{Bits \& Pieces}

\word{Glutinous}{like glue in texture; sticky}, \word{Fitfully}{not regularly or continuously; intermittently}, \word{Preening}{devoting effort to making oneself look attractive and then admiring one's appearance}, \word{Byline}{A line in a newspaper naming the writer of an article}, \word{Rankle}{(of a comment, event, or fact) cause annoyance or resentment that persists}, \word{Laconic}{using very few words}

\quote{Short is better than long}{68}

\quote{They will have their proper power because you have learned to use adjectives sparsely.}{70}

\quote{Readers want a writer who believes in himself and in what he is saying}{70}

\quote{I can't overstate how much easier it is for readers to process a sentence if you start with `but' when you're shifting direction}{73}

\note{Zinsser says that \quote{there's no rule against [using contractions]---trust your ear and your instincts}{74} However, most formal writing guidelines say just the opposite. Is there a way to mix the two, or is Zinsser's method more accurate to good nonfiction writing.}

\quote{What is so eerie about these sentences is that they have no people in them}{76}

\quote{But writing for the college newspaper is no great credential; I've often found that the hares who write for the paper are overtaken by the tortoises who work studiously toward the goal of mastering the craft.}{78}

\quote{Try not to use words like `surprisingly,' `predictably,' and `of course,' which put a value on a fact before the reader encounters the fact. Trust your material}{91}

\reflection{This is too large of a chapter to be thoroughly described in two or three sentences because it has so many different ideas shoved into it. However, most of them stick to the same principles of warmth, clarity, and brevity which Zinsser has been touting throughout the rest of the book. The adverb/adjective/punctuation advice all fits neatly into the brevity and warmth categories, and most other stylistic choices he warns against like passive voice and concept nouns are very much about humanity of the author in the reader's view. The continued viewing of writing as a problem makes it sound much more straightforward than it often feels, but I think that adopting a similar outlook will make writing feel more straightforward for me.}

\part{Forms}

\reflection{OMITTED}

\chapnum=19
\part{Attitudes}, \chapter{The Sound of Your Voice}

\quote{Don't alter your voice to fit your subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize}{231}

\quote{What is the line that separates eloquence from bombast?}{238}. \word{Bombast}{High-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people}

\quote{But ultimately eloquence runs on a deeper current. It moves us with what it leaves unsaid, touching off echoes in what we already know from our reading, our religion and our heritage. Eloquence invites us to bring some part of ourselves to the transaction.}{238--239}

\word{Sonorities}{the qualities of being imposing and full}

\reflection{Zinsser's opinions are much more about subjective truth than objective truths, like the fact that simple language is easier to understand. In this chapter, he talks a lot about taste and how difficult to define and use it is. It leads back to the same ``practice by example'' method he recommends---reading as much good literature as possible and imitating it. The pointers he gives are still very useful---good writing is fresh, and freshness isn't found in cliches. Forced simplicity (breeziness as Zinsser puts it) is bad writing and condescending. Good writing is a transaction, between the author and the reader (echoing the first chapter's double entendre).}

\chapter{Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence}

\word{Blithe}{showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper}, \word{Portentous}{Done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress}

\quote{I'm often dismayed by the sludge I see appearing on my screen if I approach writing as a task---the day's work---and not with some enjoyment.}{243}

\word{Dour}{relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy in manner or appearance}

\reflection{Writing is an act of ego and thus an act of emotion. Managing one's emotions while writing is, then, useful to make the process of writing easier. This comes in the form of choosing what to write on carefully, and self-reassurance over writing outside of one's expertise. I think that I enjoy writing most of the time, but I do fear having written something poorly or incompletely. I suppose that both my writing and my confidence improve with rewriting, so I'll continue to take Zinsser's advice and rewrite heavily and well.}

\chapter{The Tyranny of the Final Product}

\quote{The fixation on the finished article causes writers a lot of trouble, deflecting them from all the earlier decisions that have to be made to determine its shape and voice and content}{253}.

\note{Because of the way the school system is set up, and that I do the vast majority of my writing on behalf of an essay, I have the all-too-common American focus on success. Most of the time, this works well with small essays, but it makes the writing process dreadful. I'd love to take the relaxed, loose-timeline approach that Zinsser used in his class, but that's logistically impossible in my position. I wonder if there are any ways to fake the ``failure is O.K.''\ sentiment without having to resort to actually failing.}

\quote{I was primarily interested in the process, not the product. At first that made them uneasy. This was America---they not only wanted validation; it was their national right}{257}. 

\quote{Figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it, and work your way with humanity and integrity to the completed article.}{260}

\reflection{``The Tyranny of the Final Product'' is a very real struggle. All of my writing, as of yet, has been strictly a means to an end---the final product. None of the concepts like a compelling lead, stopping in a timely manner, or simplicity are conducive to this farsighted methodology. I'll try to be more fluid or human in my first drafts because rewriting is certainly not outside the realm of possibilities.}

\chapter{A Writer's Decisions}

\quote{Never be afraid to break a long sentence into two short ones, or even three}{262} is repeated verbatim from another chapter.

\word{Forlorn}{pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely}, \word{Frieze}{heavy, coarse woolen cloth with a nap, usually on one side only}

\reflection{This chapter repeats a large number of concepts from previous chapters, starting with ``The Lead and the Ending.'' It's a good review, and the extended example gives a good idea of how the writing process is a set of distinct problems solved by the writer to present information. Its instructions seems a little bit restrictive to the narrative structure, but he couldn't reasonably have included every structure analysed in this depth.}

\chapter{Writing Family History and Memoir}

\quote{Be yourself and your readers will follow you anywhere. Try to commit an act of writing and your readers will jump overboard to get away. Your product is {\twelveit you}}{283}.

\word{Lassitude}{a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy}

\quote{The strongest memoirs are the ones that preserve the unity of a remembered time and place such as $\ldots$ which recall what it was like to be a child or an adolescent in a world of adults contending with life's adversities.}{285}.

\quote{My final reducing advice can be summed up in two words: Think small}{290}. \quote{Look for small self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you still remember them it's because they contain a universal truth that your readers will recognize from their own life}. \note{This points back to the resonance concept repeated in ``A Writer's Decisions,'' where he used allusions to relate to the reader on a grander scale than he alone would've been able to (270-271).}

\reflection{This is a specialized chapter for a specialized purpose, but the grand narrative structure of a memoir resonates. While organization of large pieces has never been a relevant problem to me, it seems useful if I need to write a longer work or the same concept can be applied at smaller scale---paragraphs instead of passages. Of course, this is already available in some form with the word processor. Reorganization is as easy as selection, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-V.}

\chapter{Write as Well as You Can}

\quote{A good editor likes nothing better than a piece of copy he hardly has to touch. A bad editor has a compulsion to tinker, proving with busywork that he hasn't forgotten the minutiae of grammar and usage. He is a literal fellow, catching cracks in the road but not enjoying the scenery}{300}.

\quote{My favorite definition of a careful writer comes from Joe DiMaggio, though he didn't know that's what he was defining. DiMaggio was the greatest player I ever saw, and nobody looked more relaxed $\ldots$ he didn't appear to be exerting himself}{302--303}.

\reflection{This part has taken a much more narrative tone than part I or II, which were much more instructionally-oriented. Also, a significant portion was dedicated to editors, which isn't particularly applicable to me now. However, the message of quality resonates with me. I'd like to write well, so I'll try to build my ``craftsman's ethic'' (297).}

\biblio
\bye