The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

the starting point for becoming a good writer is to be a good reader

Strunk was born in 1869, and today’s writers cannot base their craft exclusively on the advice of a man who developed his sense of style before the invention of the telephone (let alone the Internet), before the advent of modern linguistics and cognitive science, before the wave of informalization that swept the world in the second half of the twentieth century.

Language is not a protocol legislated by an authority but rather a wiki that pools the contributions of millions of writers and speakers, who ceaselessly bend the language to their needs and who inexorably age, die, and get replaced by their children, who adapt the language in their turn.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

That somewhere is the writing of other writers. Good writers are avid readers.

The writer knows the truth before putting it into words; he is not using the occasion of writing to sort out what he thinks. Nor does the writer of classic prose have to argue for the truth; he just needs to present it. That is because the reader is competent and can recognize the truth when she sees it, as long as she is given an unobstructed view.