Andy Naselli

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Six Useful Books on Writing

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Books on writing are even more common than first-year Greek grammars. (I should probably revise that sentence.)

Here are six that I’ve found especially useful. I’d suggest reading them in this order.

1. William Strunk Jr. The Elements of Style. Wth revisions, an introduction, and a chapter on writing by E. B. White. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000. 105 pp.

Strunk

I’ve read this slim volume three times with great profit. It’s not perfect (see here and here), but it’s still well worth reading.

Perhaps Strunk’s most important advice is principle 17: “Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should have no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines, and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell” (p. 23).

2. William Zinsser. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 30th Anniversary Edition. New York: Collins, 2006. 321 pp.

Zinsser’s classic is a pleasure to read and a good supplement to Strunk and White. Here are the ten chapters that I found most helpful:
  • 2. Simplicity
  • 3. Clutter
  • 4. Style
  • 6. Words
  • 7. Usage
  • 8. Unity
  • 9. The Lead and the Ending
  • 10. Bits & Pieces
  • 19. Humor
  • 25. Write as Well as You Can [esp. the section on editors, pp. 299––302]

3. Joseph M. Williams. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. With two chapters coauthored by Gregory G. Colomb. Rev. ed. Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. 208 pp.

Williams

Style is the most advanced book on this list, but I don’t list it last because it’s probably the best. These four chapters are outstanding:

  • 1. Causes
  • 2. Clarity
  • 7. Concision
  • 10. Usage

Update on 5/5/2016: Justin Taylor summarizes the book.

4. Anthony Weston. A Rulebook for Arguments. 4th ed. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2008. 104 pp.

Weston

This could be subtitled “A Concise Guide to Logical Writing.” Kevin Vanhoozer required it for “Advanced Theological Prolegomena” (a course on theological integration required of all PhD students at Trinity), but it could easily serve as a supplemental text for a freshmen English course.

5. Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. 3rd ed. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008. 336 pp.

Booth

This is required reading for “The Theological Scholar,” a pompous-sounding course required for all PhD students at Trinity. It’s adapted as “Part 1: Research and Writing: From Planning to Production” (pp. 1–130) in a book you might already own: Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (ed. Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams; 7th ed.; Chicago Style for Students and Researchers; Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2007; 466 pp.).

6. Merriam-Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2002. 799 pp.

Merriam

This handy reference work is an abridgment of Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage.

Update: Two more books for this list:

  1. Steven Pinker. The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. New York: Viking, 2014.
  2. Douglas Wilson. Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life. Moscow, ID: Canon, 2011.
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Comments

  1. Thank you for this list.
    I would have to include Mystery and Manners—the collected essays by Flannery O’Connor. She has extremely helpful insights to writing that many inside and outside the church can learn from. I highly recommend it.

  2. Andy,
    Good list. The Craft of Research got me through my dissertation. With the inclusion of the watered-down Craft of Research and Joseph Williams’s Style, the new Turabian is a terrific book and is actually a book that bears reading and not merely reference. I will take a look at the others.
    Thank you.
    Todd Borger

  3. Hi Andy, thanks for this list. How much do you think an oral communicator (e.g. a preacher) would benefit from the first 4 books on your list?

    I realise there’s some important differences between spoken and written communication, but there’s also some overlap. So which of those on your list would you suggest for preachers and other speakers?

  4. Hey, Sandy.

    1. I think that improving your writing skills will certainly improve your oral communication. Learning to write clearly and concisely forces you to think clearly and concisely, which in turn helps you speak clearly and concisely. (I’ve heard some copy-editors, however, remark that they are so conscientious about their word choices and style that it is actually a disadvantage when speaking.)

    2. I think they’re all applicable to speaking, though #5 is probably the most removed.

  5. Joseph Williams’ Style is my vote for best book on writing. It is advanced, but also accessible.

    I first read parts of it for a prose writing course in college, and the advice on metadiscourse and modifiers (resumptive, summative, and free) have benefited me greatly.

    I’m currently rereading, this time from beginning to end, and thoroughly enjoying it.

  7. Andy,

    Good choices. Interestingly, the first three are the same ones that were recommended to me a while back by my friend and editor extraordinaire, Robert Peterson, editor of Presbyterion, the Explorations in Biblical Theology series (P&R), and co-editor with me of the Theology in Community series (Crossway).

    I concur that all three are helpful and worth the time of writers. I have learned from each.

    Blessings,

    Chris Morgan, CBU

  8. Great list. I use Joseph Williams’ book as a textbook here in seminary. It changed my writing life when I read it in college, and has the most practical advice of any writing book I have ever read. I find that his pointers helps my students draft better papers and confessions.