Writing is linear and sequential; Sentence B must follow Sentence A, and Sentence C must follow Sentence B, and eventually you get to Sentence Z. The hard part of writing isn't the writing; it's the thinking. You can solve most of your writing problems if you stop after every sentence and ask: What does the reader need to know next?

Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon.

Dare to tell the smallest of stories if you want to generate large emotions.

A simple [writing] style is the result of very hard work.

Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

Writers must constantly ask: what I am trying to say? Surprisingly often, they don't know.

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.