How Is Your Writing?
On Writing Well is a classic book on writing by William Zinsser. Jill Kelly, my writing coach, blogged about it last month here. I bought it for myself, and I highly recommend it for every pastor — for everyone, really. I’m about halfway through, and I see how much clutter and lack of clarity there is in my own writing — and I have an idea of how to improve. Clear writing is important for leaders, whether you are writing sermons, newsletter articles, blog posts or e-mails. Zinsser’s book will help you improve your writing and assess the writing of others. He’s also entertaining. The book has been in print for over 30 years, with good reason.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:23 am
Before I became a pastor, I was an instructor of English at Penn State. Zinsser is a good beginning. But I would highly, highly recommend, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams. Williams is an update to Zinsser, and explains how sentences and paragraphs work and need to be rewritten.
June 24th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Thanks for this suggestion, Marcy. I’ll look for Williams’ book.