Few people realize how badly they write. Nobody has shown them how much excess or murkiness has crept into their style.

Never forget that you are practicing a craft with certain principles.

Good writing has an aliveness that keeps the reader reading from one paragraph to the next, and it's not a question of gimmicks to "personalize" the author.

Much of my writing has taken the form of a pilgrimage: to sacred places that represent the best of America, to musicians and other artists who represent the best of their art.

Never say anything in writing that you wouldn't comfortably say in conversation. Be yourself when you write. If you're not a person who says 'indeed' or 'moreover,' or who calls someone an individual ('he's a fine individual'), please don't write it.

Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes.

Writing is thinking on paper.