The World's Best Book Summaries
What makes a good critique? What things should avoid when criticizing a creative work? In his book On Writing Well, American writer, journalist, and teacher William Zinsser shares his tips on how to write a good critique. He lists five things you should keep in mind when criticizing someone’s work. Here are some tips on how to write a good critique.
Do you want to discover your unique writing style? What sets your writing apart from everybody else’s? You may be tempted to tailor your writing style to match what you often read online or in books, but that won’t gain you any popularity. Every good writer has their own personality and style, and it’s those differences that set them above the rest, not conformity. Here is how to develop a writing style that’s uniquely yours.
Do you want to know how to use humor in writing? How do you make your humor sound natural rather than forced? The rule of thumb is that if you find something funny, include it. Just make sure you’re not trying to force humor into your writing because the readers will be able to tell. Here are some tips on how to add humor to your writing, from On Writing Well by William Zinsser.
Are friendships at work a bad thing? Will they distract you from your job? In Delivering Happiness, former CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, says that friendship at work should be encouraged. He further explains that he implemented friendship in his company culture to create a happy environment for his employees. Here’s how Zappos motivates friendships at work, and why some people may be against developing a friendly relationship with their co-workers.
Do you want to be a travel writer? What can you do to set yourself apart? The travel writing industry is booming. However, there are five common traps that travel writers fall into. If you avoid these traps, you will set your writing apart from the rest. Here are some tips to set yourself apart.
What is workplace culture? How does it affect a company’s success? In Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh explains that fostering a healthy workplace culture is essential in developing a successful business. Culture is not something that can be concretely defined, but the two most important aspects of a company’s culture are employee behavior and belief, which Hsieh explains more in-depth. Learn more about what workplace culture is and its importance.
Do you write creative nonfiction? What can you do to spice your nonfiction piece up? In his book On Writing Well, William Zinsser explains that nonfiction writing doesn’t have to be flat and bland. You can write nonfiction in ways that will grip readers as much as fiction writing. From interviews to memoirs to sports writing, here’s how to add some flare to your nonfiction.
Are you a sportswriter or want to be one? Are you looking for sports writing tips? Sports writing is a form of nonfiction that reports on topics involving sports, such as athletes, games, and competitions. Zinsser notes two problems sportswriters face: making the story about them and flaunting their knowledge. Here’s why you should avoid both.
Do you struggle to keep consistent as you write? What are some things to consider to ensure your writing is consistent in terms of tone, argument, point of view, and tense? If you want to maintain consistency in your writing, you need to ask yourself these four guiding questions: What’s the main idea? What point of view will you use? What tense will you use? And what tone will you have? You must make these decisions ahead of time so you don’t lose focus part-way through. Here’s how to maintain consistency while writing.
What are some of the greatest quotes by Sun Tzu? Are they applicable today, outside the battlefield? According to Sun Tzu, the key to winning the battle is to know your enemy. When you know your enemy, you can anticipate their actions beforehand. You can also determine whether you stand the chance of winning a battle and regroup accordingly. Here are some of Sun Tzu’s enemy quotes with explanations.