"Writing can be taught or learned in the vacuum. We must say to students in every area of knowledge: "This is a how other people have written about t… - William Zinsser

Students should be learning a strong and unpretentious prose that will carry their thoughts about the world they live in.

Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga.

Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience — every reader is a different person.