Writing With Style

This bestselling brief text is for anyone who needs tips to improve writing. Writing with Style is storehouse of practical writing tips—written in a lively, conversational style. This text provides insight into: how to generate interesting ideas and get them down on paper; how to write a critical analysis; how to write a crisp opener; how to invigorate a dull style; how to punctuate with confidence; how to handle various conventions—and much more.

“A rich, generous book about writing and reading and Kurt Vonnegut as writer, teacher, and friend . . . Every page brings pleasure and insight.”—Gail Godwin, New York Times bestselling author Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he’s given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition. His former student, Suzanne McConnell, has outfitted us for the journey, and in these 37 chapters covers the waterfront of how one American writer brought himself to the pinnacle of the writing art, and we can all benefit as a result. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the few grandmasters of American literature, whose novels continue to influence new generations about the ways in which our imaginations can help us to live. Few aspects of his contribution have not been plumbed—fourteen novels, collections of his speeches, his essays, his letters, his plays—so this fresh view of him is a bonanza for writers and readers and Vonnegut fans everywhere. “Part homage, part memoir, and a 100% guide to making art with words, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style is a simply mesmerizing book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!”—Andre Dubus III, #1 New York Times bestselling author “The blend of memory, fact, keen observation, spellbinding descriptiveness and zany characters that populated Vonnegut’s work is on full display here.”—James McBride, National Book Award-winning author

“Charming and erudite," from the author of Rationality and Enlightenment Now, "The wit and insight and clarity he brings . . . is what makes this book such a gem.” —Time.com Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care? From the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now. In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.

The Elements of Style Workbook honors the original masterpiece by William Strunk, Jr. published in 1920, with relevant updates for modern times. We have adapted Strunk's original work to include essential exercises (with answer keys) to help novice writers gain command of stylistic structures and devices through guided practice, and to guide more experienced writers through the nuances of commanding style. Essential for today's writers, Strunk's original chapters regarding rules of usage and principles of composition are represented in this workbook. These original lessons, along with style exercises that teach writers to flex their writing style at will, include sentence writing, paragraph writing, and style writing exercises that amplify the impact of the original work by William Strunk, Jr. True to Strunk's original masterpiece, this Elements of Style Workbook addresses the most common and useful issues novice writers face, which are the same ones plaguing English writers for over a century. We honor Strunk's identification of these main writing challenges, and do not dilute the prominence of these points with either less difficult or more advanced grammatical lessons. In this way, we retain Strunk's original focus on the essentials. We have reproduced these essential lessons here and provided targeted practice to enable writers to strengthen those skills. While holding true to the original Elements of Style , this workbook also amplifies some troublesome yet vital stylistic points of practice with the following augmentations: -Grammar on past perfect -Expansive style section based on Noah Webster's style types -Extensive practice with the multitude of styles Webster delineates, using excerpts from literature masters as examples and guides None of these highly useful components were present in the original Elements of Style, nor have they been represented in any edition since then. Style Types The style section draws from Noah Webster's articulate delineations of style types. Each style type draws from a master of literature illustrating that particular style, then challenges writers to imitate, recreate, and alter styles at will. The following style types, identified by Webster, are included in this workbook: 1.Forceful 2.Vehement 3.Elegant 4.Brief 5.Copious or diffusive 6.Precise 7.Neat 8.Loose 9.Feeble 10.Plain Together, these style types represent the vast majority of writing styles used by literary masters in the English language. An English writing workbook like no other With its loyalty to the highly acclaimed and extremely successful original edition of Strunk's The Elements of Style , augmented by Webster's clearly defined articulation of style types and supplemented by ample, targeted, and clear exercises for each component, The Elements of Style Workbook offers an essential writing resource like no other. Whether you are beginning your journey to quality writing or would like to refine your command of voice and style, you will find this updated version of a tried-and-true resource, The Elements of Style Workbook , a vital aid and guide.

This invaluable workbook-style reference guide will help you transition from writing for composition classes to writing for psychology classes. Author Lenore T. Szuchman's years of experience teaching writing-intensive courses give her an inside track on the trouble spots students often encounter when writing papers and dealing with APA style. The unique workbook format offers both a quick reference to APA style and interactive exercises that give you a chance to practice what you've learned.

A Style Guide with Style Writing With Style: An Editor's Advice for RPG Writers presents 45 pages of concise tips on simple ways to make your roleplaying game writing cleaner and clearer. This guide doesn't show you how to structure adventures, build stat blocks, or create worlds. Instead, Ray Vallese looks at some of the most common and easily fixable grammar and style issues he's encountered in over twenty years of editing RPGs.Rookie freelancers, industry veterans, and self-publishers alike can benefit from this (mostly) jargon-free guide, which addresses such topics as:* Recasting passive voice into active voice (and when you might not want to)* Dangling participles and other misplaced modifiers* Gender-specific and gender-neutral language* Commonly confused words, empty words, and clich�s to avoid* Choice and possibility in player character actions* Final things to check before submitting your manuscriptTighten and polish your text with these quick and easy tips!

This clear, concise guide to fine points of writing provides tips on how to plan, proof, polish, and present writing projects.

Whether you’re new to web writing, or you’re a professional writer looking to deepen your skills, this book is for you. You’ll learn how to write web copy that addresses your readers’ needs and supports your business goals. Learn from real-world examples and interviews with people who put these ideas into action every day: Kristina Halvorson of Brain Traffic, Tiffani Jones Brown of Pinterest, Randy J. Hunt of Etsy, Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom, Mandy Brown of Editorially, Sarah Richards of GOV.UK, and more. Topics include: • Write marketing copy, interface flows, blog posts, legal policies, and emails • Develop behind-the-scenes documents like mission statements, survey questions, and project briefs • Find your voice and adapt your tone for the situation • Build trust and foster relationships with readers • Make a simple style guide “Writing is a skill that will hugely benefit anyone’s career, and luckily, it’s a skill that anyone can learn. Nicely Said is a wonderful guide to writing clearly and concisely for the audience you’re trying to reach. Whether you’re a professional or just getting started, you’ll find a ton to steal from here.” (— Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work! "Between them, Kate and Nicole have written for many of the web's most valuable and respected companies. Their commitment to clarity and kindness is the result of their experience, and it makes them extraordinary teachers." - Erin Kissane, author of The Elements of Content Strategy