Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard. It's one of the hardest things that people do

Never hesitate to imitate another writer. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art or a craft. Bach and Picasso didn't spring full-blown as Bach or Picasso; they needed models. This is especially true of writing.

You can solve most of your writing problems if you stop after every sentence and ask: what does the reader need to know next?

Make a habit of reading what is being written today and what has been written before. Writing is learned by imitation.

Writing improves in direct ratio to the things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.

The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.

Clutter is the disease of American writing.