How do you learn to write, really, other than by writing? But now and then, it's good to pause and think about the art of good writing, the craft. This famous little book can be the reflective pause that will help you be care-full, love-full, with your work. The book is not just more of the same old stuff you've always heard.
The creative author has examples of good writing are informative and insightful. And because good writing is always connected to the inner life and moral depth of the author, much of what he says applies to the ultimate source of the written word: the writer's attitude, her attention and integrity. Don't let the "nonfiction" in the title deter you from reading this if you write fiction. The chapter on "travel writing" is an on-the-button presentation on the creation of "place" which is essential in fiction.
Read slowly, let the humor and common sense of the author seep into your writing blood so that it may flow out spontaneously in your words. But maybe the best gift this book will give you is the sense that you, the writer, are but a humble, ordinary worker using skill, intelligence and heart to create something beautiful and true.
