Summary:

Chapter 5 focuses on one topic: writing for yourself. Zinsser indicates that keeping the writer’s identity is different from attracting readers. The former means trying to create the writer’s own style, while the latter emphasizes on sharpening his writing skills. To earn readers as well as not lose his own identity, the writer should make their sentences clean and ideas creative. Like E.B. White, H.L. Mencken and James Herndon, people who write for themselves can make successful writing and influence their readers.

By providing the definition of journalese, he states that people seem to lose the ability of reading. To avoid such situation, the writer must pay more attention to words, rereading his work and imitating earlier masters. When dealing with words, the writer should take words’ choice and rhythm into consideration by consulting dictionaries and thesaurus.

Reflection:

Finding your style is a process. It depends on accumulation of writings in which the writer can express himself, instead of following the standard he set at the beginning. As for the readers’ demands and pursuing one’s identity, they can be analyzed from different perspectives. In my view, attracting readers needs the writer to know how to write, which is mentioned as“craft” in Chapter 5. It concerns with arrangements, structure and other elements on the surface of writing. However, writing for yourself focuses on what to write, which is the core of a successful writing. The gist and emotion of the writer, as deeper elements of writing, may determine which group of reader this piece of writing will attract.

When you realize there are some troubles in your writing, you can:

         Reversing the order of a sentence

         Substituting a word that has freshness of oddity

         Altering the length of your sentences

         Create an occasional short sentence ( carry a tremendous punch)

Words:

1. If you go about it with enjoyment,you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for.

          To set about to do; undertake:

            • Go about your chores in a responsible way.

2. Many college students write as if they were desiccated alumni 30 years out.

         (disapproving) not interesting or completely without imagination

             • All the party seems to have to offer is the same desiccated old ideas.

3. The rest had to take orders for mail-order pantaloons or work in the adjacent strawberry fields.                 接受命令，做牧师

4. Exactly twelve minutes after I reached the village I was taken in tow by a Christian man.

             on tow UK (US in tow , Australian also under tow) being pulled along

             • The car in front of us is on tow - that's why we're going so slowly.

             • The damaged boat drifted for days before it was finally taken in tow.

5. These dreary phrases constitute writing at its most banal.

             If something constitutes a particular thing, it can be regarded as being that thing. [V n] [no cont]被视为，可算作

             Testing patients without their consent would constitute a professional and legal offence...

              被视为违反职业操守和触犯法律

              The vote hardly constitutes a victory...

6.Notice the decisions that other writers make in their choice of words and be finicky about the ones you select from the vast supply.

               needing a lot of attention to detail

               • Repairing watches must be a very finicky job.