Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing

I was fortunate enough to be a student in Dr. Trimble's American Liturature class at the University of Texas in 1989. Before I took his class, my writing was poor and insincere. I did not know how to use my own voice in my work. After reading his book several times--and finally "getting it", I improved my writing significantly. I am a more successful person because of this book. Thank you Dr. Trimble.

Reading Trimble's style guide changed my writing forever. In this book, Trimble explains the thought process of a good writer, and he makes his point so well that, since reading it, I have permanently conditioned myself to think in way he describes.This style guide is more an essay on good writing than a reference book. Trimble focuses more on the thought process of a writer than on details. He exhorts us to always consider the audience as we write, and he carefully explains how to do this. He explains the writing process; how to construct the text to best communicate the point. He gives useful advice on common writing tasks like quoting and punctuating.My favorite chapter is where he debunks some myths about the English language; these myths are arbitrary rules that had been thrust upon us by rigid prescriptive grammarians trying to make English more like Latin.I first read an older edition of the book for an English class as high school senior about eight years ago. Reading this book made me excited about writing; Trimble writes in such as way that builds interest. I read the book cover to cover and immediately adopted the practices recommended in it. Unfortunately, in high school, they only lent textbooks, so I had to give it back. About eight years later, I repurchased the new edition of this book. Oddly enough, rereading it was kind of a waste of time, for I had learned the lessons well the first time and they had stuck with me. Trimble hadn't just given me good advice; he had permanently changed me.I recommend that everyone who writes get this book, read it, and do what the book says.

As a student of John's, I was amazed by his ability to create an environment where neurotic college students felt completely comfortable sharing their work with very talented peers. As someone who now makes a living stringing words together, I credit him with teaching me to write honestly, conversationally and effectively. Reading his book is a lot like returning to a class: He nurtures, nudges, inspires, excites, and never, ever condescends. And, as always, he's charming as all get-out. I've bought at least half a dozen copies of "Writing with Style"--when I give it to writer friends, I never get it back.

Everyone knows about and owns a copy of Strunk and White, but I found this little book by Trimble to be a lot more useful and probably more relevant to writing today.If I were to teach a writing course (unlikely as it sounds), I'd be sure to have all my students buy a copy of this to supplement their writing practice.The highlight of this book, I think, is Trimble's comments on style. He has a great chapter on 'Superstitions' of writing. Still think that you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition? Not so. The best response to someone who insists that you should is to tell the short anecdote about Churchill, as Trimble does: "When the prime minister--a Nobel Laureate in literature--found that an editor of his memoirs had had the cheek to 'correct' one of his sentences ending in a preposition, he wrote back, 'This is the kind of impertinence up with which I shall not put.'"

This book was assigned in a graduate-level research methods class in geography. I generallly do not hold much hope for writer's "manuals," but Trimble's slim volume is so much more. His own writing is clear, honest, and pithy. I make all of my senior research students read it now, as a professor, and it's by far the best small treatise on the subject. It could be used side-by-side with Strunk & White's Elements of Style seamlessly. Get it!