5. You Write for Yourself

1. The fundamental question in writing is "Who am I writing for"? And its fundamental answer is "You are writing for yourself."
2. "Editors and readers don't know what they want to read until they read it. Besides, they're always looking for something new."
3. If a sudden impulse of humor amuses the writer, he can put it in his writing with no worry whether the reader will get it.
4. First master a precise skill of writing (craft), then, use that skill to express your personality (attitude).
5. Do not lose the reader and still be carefree about his opinion. But how? Here is a solution:

• "First, work hard to master the tools. Simplify, prune and strive for order. This is a mechanical act, soon sentences will become cleaner." At least sentences will be grounded in solid principles, and chances of losing the reader will be smaller.
• Expressing who you are is a creative act. "Relax and say what you want to say. And since style is who you are, you only need to be true to yourself to find it gradually emerging from under the accumulated clutter and debris, growing more distinctive every day. Perhaps the style won't solidify for years as your style, your voice. Just as it takes time to find yourself as a person, it takes time to find yourself as a stylist, and even then, your style will change as you grow older.

These are my summary notes on 'The Audience' from a book "On Writing Well" written by William Zinsser.