If you’re a writer, then you should buy (or definitely borrow and read) Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg.
This book will help about “who wants to write, write better, or have a clearer understanding of what it means for them to be writing.” The book title clearly describes what you will find in this book – many short sentences about writing – it’s an incredibly quick read, and you’ll have to force yourself to slow down to appreciate what you’re reading.
The book contains so many valuable insights. Here is some of what I learned:
- If you notice something, it’s because it’s important – what you notice also depends on what you allow yourself to notice
- Writing short sentences will help you to write balanced sentences of any length
- To become a better writer, you must become a better reader
- As you pursue clarity, your style will reveal itself
- All writing is revision
- It’s difficult to fix a sentence by using only the words you’ve already used
- Authority comes from how you write, not from the subject you write about
- Turn every sentence into its own paragraph to visualize how the sentences vary
- Imagine a sentence instead of writing it – keep the sentence imaginary until you are happy with it
- Read your work aloud – your ears are much smarter than your eyes because you hear more slowly than you read, and your eyes cannot see rhythm
David Gargaro - The Editor's Desk 