Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing

The best writing is not born from the first draft or even the second. Instead, it’s carved out during a series of revisions that transform work from sloppy to wonderful. Trimble seeks to disavow his reader that good writers are naturally good at writing; they aren’t. Instead, good writers have learned to be good rewriters. He quotes novelist James A. Michener, who said:

I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I’m one of the world’s great rewriters (21).

In the process of writing well, failure is normal. First draft, second drafts, or fiftieth drafts may be required to improve a piece of writing. College students writing an essay may choose to create two, three, or four drafts. A professional author writing an article or book, on other hand, may put their writing through dozens and dozens of drafts. Trimble describes this journey as “the grim reality that nine-tenths of all writing is rewriting” (21).

Novice writers must become accustomed to the reality that good writing is a long-term exercise in which revising is key. For college students, in particular, those who receive the highest grades are not typically the “best” or “fastest” writers, but instead those who allotted time to write and re-write. All good writing has gone through revisions. College essay writers must learn to do the same.

Chapters 1, 9, 10, and 11 touch on the process of revising and proofreading. Trimble advocates for authors to read their prose aloud so they can catch odd phrases, the placement of commas, and gaps in logic. Good writers will also comb through their sentences to identify errant words, unclear phrases, and odd punctuation. They keep combing until their argument is clear and they can no longer identify any issues. In this sense, “Continuity doesn’t magically happen; its created” (52).

“Simple prose is clear prose,” resurfaces throughout Writing with Style like a drumbeat (36). Trimble defines clear prose as sentences that are concise, vocabulary that is accessible, and paragraphs that are connected and organized. Clear prose leads to clear communication, the goal of all writers. After all, “All writing is communication,” Trimble says (16).

When it comes to clear communication, simplicity and informality are key. Trimble has a bone to pick with people who believe that writing should be formal and stuffy. He refers to these literary police as “The One True English Language Sect,” or TOTELS (84). TOTELS wield strong opinions about aspects of writing such as contractions, prepositions, and using the first-person I or you. In response to each rule, Trimble lays out clear rebuttals as to why certain rules in written English are meant to be broken, particularly if they increase the clarity of a sentence’s meaning or relax its style.

When it comes to formality in writing, Trimble lands on the opposite side of the fence: he argues that students should write with simple prose that encompass short sentences, clear ideas, and provide signposting to protect the reader from getting lost. There is no point in confusing a reader and drowning them in austere language. Once the reader is confused, they are disconnected from the author and the essay’s argument. To prevent that disconnect, keep your words, sentences, phrases, and ideas clear. Trimble sums it up like this: “Use the fewest words possible and the simplest words possible” (79).

Even in academic assignments, it’s helpful to write as if explaining your ideas to a friend. This process allows the author to choose accessible words, illuminate their ideas clearly, and convey information in a sequential manner.