Never hesitate to imitate another writer (Zinsser)
June 24th, 2008 | Published in Writing, Education, Quotes | 6 Comments
Never hesitate to imitate another writer. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art or craft…. Find the best writers in the fields that interest you and read their work aloud.
—William Zinsser, On Writing Well, p. 238.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:16 am (#)
Art is creation, not imitation.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:19 am (#)
@Blaine: Unless you are God, how do you create without imitation?
June 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am (#)
Strawman! I’m not talking about creation in a theological sense, I’m talking about writing.
No, but I like that. I concede the point in the face of your eloquence.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:40 am (#)
@Blaine: I was being serious. Not sure why you feel the need to be a jerk. I’ll spell things out a bit more.
Unless you are God, and can create anything out of nothing and without prior associations, then how can you make something without imitation?
When you write a sentence, you’re using English. You’re using phrases and metaphors and cliches handed down to you from your parents, friends, and favorite writers. It may not be purposeful, but it’s imitation nevertheless.
If you didn’t imitate, and were completely unique, you wouldn’t be understandable.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:38 pm (#)
I wasn’t being sarcastic, I was agreeing with you. The first paragraph was a Lore Sjöberg reference. Forgive me, I was in a strange mood.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:55 pm (#)
@Blaine: Ah, I didn’t get the reference. I thought you were being sarcastic about me not providing a more eloquent argument. Sorry for jumping to conclusions.