Several Short Sentences about Writing

This is the first ‘how to write' book that's truly resonated with me. Klinkenborg proposes a sentence-first method, where syntactical rigour and accuracy of vocabulary are the keys to good writing, and together beget more and better ideas. I really liked that: that every sentence should have a reason for being the way that it is, and no other way, and that you should know why and consider every element fully. He eschews ideas of ‘flow' and ‘naturalness' in the writing process, arguing that ‘flow' is something the reader experiences, not the writer, and that writing isn't natural and should demand your effort.

Klinkenborg's method is a sort of discovery writing, though it's never called that in so many words, and it encourages patience and deliberation before you even put a word to the page. Knowing the right words and trusting your own powers of observation are more important here than outlining or drafting. If that all sounds very abstract and internal, it is, but the vigour and clarity of the author's argument are strong testimony.

You see some practical applications in the last section of the book, where Klinkenborg critiques example sentences from student writers. Some are just slightly off and others are barely intelligible, and he rewrites, restructures or discards them with a dry humour and easy efficiency that I enjoyed. Many other writing books wimp out of discussing sentences – even though to me, as a reader, they are the experience – so I appreciated reading one in which sentence-level confidence and craft are instrumental. A really motivating and thought-provoking read.