--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing improves in direct ratio to the…" description: "\"“Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.”\" — William Zinsser" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png" --- # Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things… ![“Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.” quote by William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png) > ““Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.”” [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective writing depends on eliminating unnecessary elements that distract from the core message. **In simple terms:** Good writing removes clutter. Key Takeaway Edit ruthlessly. Themes writing clarity editing Mood determined analytical Type advice instructional When to use this quote - drafting - academic papers - blog posts - marketing copy - novel writing Key Concepts minimalism focus conciseness Questions to Reflect On - What can you cut without losing meaning? - How does removal improve impact? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip voice or nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Writing improves in direct ratio to the things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-things-we-can-keep-out-of-it/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I say a lot of things I shouldn't say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/i-say-a-lot-of-things-i-shouldn-t-say/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [When people get drunk they do things they shouldn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/when-people-get-drunk-they-do-things-they-shouldn-t-do/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [“We do many things we shouldn’t in the course of a life. It doesn’t make them right or wrong, just a part of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-carcaterra/we-do-many-things-we-shouldn-t-in-the-course-of-a-life-it-doesn-t/) [Lorenzo Carcaterra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-carcaterra/) > [When looking back, usually I'm more sorry for the things I didn't do than for the things I shouldn't have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-looking-back-usually-i-m-more-sorry-for-the-things-i-didn-t-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Making The First Move To Patch Up Things, Shouldn't Always Come From The One Who Made The Mistake But It Should Come From The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/making-the-first-move-to-patch-up-things-shouldn-t-always-come-from/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Things that shouldn't be broken: 1. Hearts 2. Promises 3. Condoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/things-that-shouldn-t-be-broken-1-hearts-2-promises-3-condoms/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I only see things that I shouldn't have done when I watch my film again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-yoon-ki/i-only-see-things-that-i-shouldn-t-have-done-when-i-watch-my-film/) [Lee Yoon-ki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-yoon-ki/) > [I'm over-educated in the things I shouldn't have known at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/i-m-over-educated-in-the-things-i-shouldn-t-have-known-at-all/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [The sum of all the things we shouldn't have done in our lives is enough to kill us with the weight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/the-sum-of-all-the-things-we-shouldn-t-have-done-in-our-lives-is/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [In life we always fall for the people who will never fall for us, always anting things that we can't have, and saying things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayn-malik/in-life-we-always-fall-for-the-people-who-will-never-fall-for-us/) [Zayn Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayn-malik/) > [Three things that shouldn't be broken; Friendship, Hearts and Promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/three-things-that-shouldn-t-be-broken-friendship-hearts-and-promises/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes I think about things I shouldn't.. But then again I don't care..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan/sometimes-i-think-about-things-i-shouldn-t-but-then-again-i-don-t-care/) [Megan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan/) > [When they get their ego involved, people do things they shouldn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/when-they-get-their-ego-involved-people-do-things-they-shouldn-t-do/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Why the hell do we make such a big deal out of things that shouldn't be a big deal?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cavuto/why-the-hell-do-we-make-such-a-big-deal-out-of-things-that-shouldn-t/) [Neil Cavuto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cavuto/) ## More by William Zinsser > [“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/but-the-secret-of-good-writing-is-to-strip-every-sentence-to-its/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [No one has something original or important to say will willing we run the risk of being misunderstood; people who write obscurely are either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/no-one-has-something-original-or-important-to-say-will-willing-we-run/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/avoid-the-ecstatic-adjectives-that-occupy-such-disproportionate-space/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/scholarship-hath-no-fury-like-that-of-a-language-purist-faced-with/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-official-language-used-by-corporations-to-hide-their/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual - it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/keep-your-paragraphs-short-writing-is-visual-it-catches-the-eye/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Never hesitate to imitate another writer - every person learning a craft or an art needs models. Eventually you'll find your own voice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/never-hesitate-to-imitate-another-writer-every-person-learning-a/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clutter is the disease of American writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-disease-of-american-writing/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill rode to glory on the back of the strong declarative sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/abraham-lincoln-and-winston-churchill-rode-to-glory-on-the-back-of/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-organizes-and-clarifies-our-thoughts-writing-is-how-we-think/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Rewriting is the essence of writing well - where the game is won or lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/rewriting-is-the-essence-of-writing-well-where-the-game-is-won-or-lost/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clear-thinking-becomes-clear-writing-one-can-t-exist-without-the-other/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in-the-first-person-writing-is/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Don't be kind of bold. Be bold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/don-t-be-kind-of-bold-be-bold/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [Journalism is writing that first appears in any periodic journal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/journalism-is-writing-that-first-appears-in-any-periodic-journal/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) [Explore all 150 William Zinsser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) ## More Improves quotes > [A certain alloy of expediency improves the gold of morality and makes it wear all the longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/a-certain-alloy-of-expediency-improves-the-gold-of-morality-and-makes/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [I've seen people be effective, even among local teams, by offering something that improves wellbeing in a small way - people who get passionate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rath/i-ve-seen-people-be-effective-even-among-local-teams-by-offering/) [Tom Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rath/) > [We're starting to see, as the economy improves, that the unemployment rate among veterans and military spouses - we're seeing some improvement in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-starting-to-see-as-the-economy-improves-that-the-unemployment/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We all know business financial performance improves when more women are in senior levels of management and leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/we-all-know-business-financial-performance-improves-when-more-women/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [If the national economy improves, Chicago will improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-l-evans/if-the-national-economy-improves-chicago-will-improve/) [Charles L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-l-evans/) > [“What gets watched improves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-gets-watched-improves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Improve your business, your life, your relationships, your finances and your health. When you do the whole world improves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/improve-your-business-your-life-your-relationships-your-finances-and/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [“Negativity never improves productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-conner/negativity-never-improves-productivity/) Chris Conner > [I think anything which improves services is in principle a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-think-anything-which-improves-services-is-in-principle-a-good-thing/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [“Irish improves a poet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sina-queyras/irish-improves-a-poet/) [Sina Queyras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sina-queyras/) > [Technologists provide tools that can improve people's lives. But I want to be clear that I don't think technology by itself improves people's lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/technologists-provide-tools-that-can-improve-people-s-lives-but-i/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [I've seen time and time again the way that the process of trying to say something dignifies and improves a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-ve-seen-time-and-time-again-the-way-that-the-process-of-trying-to/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Writing improves in direct ratio to the things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-things-we-can-keep-out-of-it/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [That's why I wrote this book: to show how these people can imbue us with hope. I read somewhere that when a person takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/that-s-why-i-wrote-this-book-to-show-how-these-people-can-imbue-us/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [As your golf improves, your concentration will improve with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-didrikson-zaharias/as-your-golf-improves-your-concentration-will-improve-with-it/) [Babe Didrikson Zaharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-didrikson-zaharias/) Browse all 72 Improves quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Zinsser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-number-of-things-we-can-keep/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Improves" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-number-of-things-we-can-keep/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/william-zinsser-2796_improves_writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the_2916674.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.” — William Zinsser", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Zinsser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Writing improves in direct ratio to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-number-of-things-we-can-keep/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-number-of-things-we-can-keep/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```