The Art of Writing
Written by Peter Yang.
⏱️ The book in three sentences
Writing is more than the skill of communication, it is an artistic pursuit.
The writer must always remember they are writing for the reader, not for themselves.
Anyone can learn to write artistically
🪞 Reflections
The Art of Writing is essentially a very short and concise handbook on what the author, Peter Yang, deems the four fundamental principles of artistic writing. Economy, transparency, variety and harmony, when used collectively and balanced accordingly produce work that is full of both utility and beauty. Yang uses these pillars to eloquently write about them; breaking each down into a multitude of brief but explicitly clear lessons and advice.
The chapter on economy, for example, goes deep on what many refer to as the "Orwell rule" - that is, asking of each word "is this necessary? Can it be removed?" He explains how each sentence should be continually reviewed, with points of redundancy eliminated in each sweep. Do not repeat yourself. Do not dwell on your uncertainty. Write with faith in your beliefs and state what you mean with confidence. From these teachings, Yang filters down to practical explanations, like the common overuse of "that" and "which is", and how to cast them from your prose.
The remaining principles follow a similar pattern. Focusing on clarity, entertainment and the crafting of each sentence into a collective of graceful and flowing paragraphs. From abstract ideas to concrete guidance, the book simplifies writing into an understandable process of expansion, refinement, diversification and repetition. Each intertwining with the others to communicate what must be said, and nothing more.
It's difficult to point out a flaw in this book. It's succinct, which by definition removes room for mistakes. Not only is Yang brief, but also persuasive. Each point is logical and clear, therefore acceptable to the reader and capable of being learned.
This book is so short but powerful. Everyone should read it. Whether your goal is to write a novel or to write a better email, this book will enhance your skills.
💥 Personal impact
Ultimately, the value of this blog is derived from my ability to communicate effectively. Hence the reason I sought out this book. From the beginning, my aim for these posts has always been to say exactly the amount that is needed and not more, as to respect the shortened attention span of today's internet users. Sometimes I succeed and often I don't. What I failed to understand, however, is that attention spans are not the reason writing should be simplified. Good writing, in and of itself, is simple. That's one of the elements that makes it good. And that's where The Art of Writing really struck me. It's the way Yang explains the philosophy.
The book also impacted me in terms of how I judge books too. For instance, I read The Art of Writing at the same time I read A Promised Land by Barrack Obama. The contrast between the explanations of good writing in this book and the word surplus in Obama's helped me articulate my disappointment in the president's writing. In other words, The Art of Writing helped me become a better writer and a better critic. Those two identities then cyclically feed on each other to further improve my own writing.
At the time of writing, this book has been a game-changer for me. I hope to expand on these lessons as I write more and at some point return to the book for another read.
🗣 Top three quotes
A sentence is like a mathematical expression: The more it can be simplified, the more beautiful it becomes. - pg. 3
Never lose sight of your purpose in your writing. Doing so is the ultimate form of indulgence. - pg. 67
What distinguishes the best-selling book from the failing book is not the originality of the ideas but rather how authors express the ideas from their point of view. - pg. 79