In many ways, books on the craft of writing have had a huge impact on the world. In other ways, none at all. With the market now saturated, separating the wheat from the chaff has become more tedious. Writers seem out of moves. Worse, most fail to reveal the mechanics behind their advice.
Hidden deep in a Reddit post on top writing books, a user named ‘bkcim’ recommended Roman-Raphaelson’s Writing That Works. I now feel compelled to find them and pay their parking tickets for life.
This book undersells itself. Despite being published in 1981, it proves that the fundamentals of clear, structured writing remain unchanged. Where most books get lost in ambition or offer shallow insights, this one cuts to the core mechanics writers need. And the mentions of fax machines are a charming touch.
Writing That Works is assertive but not imposing, friendly but not folksy, confident but not aloof. A brilliant insight into clarity of thought.
