Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
On Writing Well: Audio Collection  By  cover art

On Writing Well: Audio Collection

By: William Zinsser
Narrated by: William Zinsser
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.49

Buy for $13.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This expanded audio collection presents William Zinsser's On Writing Well, the classic teaching book that has sold more than 1 million copies, together with a new 90-minute section that tells you how to write a memoir.

Based on a course that Zinsser taught at Yale, On Writing Well has long been praised by writers, teachers, and students for its sound advice, its clarity, and the warmth of its style. It's for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day. Whether you want to write about people and places, science and technology, business, sports, or the arts, this is the definitive guide to the craft of nonfiction.

Part II of this collection, on memoir, personal history, and family history, tells you in helpful detail how to write the story of your life: who you are, who you once were, and what heritage you come from. Throughout, Zinsser refers to the work of many successful memoir writers, including Frank McCourt, Annie Dillard, Russell Baker, and Eudora Welty, to demonstrate how they solved the problems of selection, compression, focus, and tone that every memoir writer struggles with.

©1990, 1999, 2003 William Zinsser (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Zinsser's classic belongs on every writer's shelf. It's full of practical, no-frills advice on the basics of writing nonfiction: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity....The author's easy-going delivery and warm voice are confidence-building, as well. The discussion is crystal clear and easy to follow as transitional statements carefully lead the listener from one section to the next. Most of all, the audio exudes Zinsser's generosity of spirit, which is sure to inspire any would-be writer." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: 45+ Quotes About Writing from Famous Writers


No matter how passionate you are about it, writing can be difficult. Whenever you’re struggling with writer’s block, rejection, competition, insecurity, or any of the countless obstacles that wordsmiths encounter daily, it can help to get encouragement from those who have successfully overcome the very same challenges. If you're looking for inspiration to start your next project, these quotes about writing from writers themselves are sure to be welcome reading!

What listeners say about On Writing Well: Audio Collection

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    611
  • 4 Stars
    202
  • 3 Stars
    111
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    32
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    470
  • 4 Stars
    128
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    16
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    446
  • 4 Stars
    135
  • 3 Stars
    69
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    17

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best teaching ever on writing

Clear and concise, this is the best material ever on writing. Coming from the authors lips, the audio is invaluable and conveys much of the nonverbal information that you cant get in text.

This is the hidden gem for writing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Honest and clear

I really enjoyed listening to this author. His words ring true and were very helpful to me, a writer struggling to tell her story about the fundamental Independent Baptist church in the south in the 1960s. The part about the need for rewrites - often many of them - was so encouraging. I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out I’m right on track. So glad I bought it. I also have his book by the same name that expand on the ideas shared here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not that useful

Very standard and obvious learnings. Wouldn’t recommend unless you have never written before and need a basic understanding.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Valuable

A gift to those who want to write well. I’m so grateful the author shared it with us.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I wish it was the full book!

I liked what he had to say on writing well and more specifically how to write a memoir. I just wish all the chapters were on here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Tools for great writing

It really is everything about Writing Well!

A necessary item in every writer’s tool box. It is inspiring, enlightening & easy to apply to writing development plans. Loved it & will be referring to this book often.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

On Writing Well

I have the book, but I found the audio differed a great deal, not in a bad way. In providing recommendations on Memoir writing, I loved his reference and use of examples from numerous writers and their works. He provided a list of books and authors at the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Write your story

It’s a simple introduction to the process of telling your life story and gives valuable advice. Keep it simple and don’t be pompous by trying to impress the reader.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book on writing.

I love this book. It inspired and motivated me to write with "clarity, simplicity, economy - brevity, and with humanity."

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Advice

I found the advice given by Mr Zinsser could serve me well with my fiction writing as much as the nonfiction. He used his own advice when presenting this informative book with Clarity, Simplicity, Brevity and Humanity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!