Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds-the writer is always slightly behind.

You'll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want

All writers should strive to deliver something fresh-something editors or readers won't know they want until they see it.

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

Writers are the custodians of memory, and that's what this chapter is about: how to leave some kind of record of your life and of the family you were born into.

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

Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.