In William Zinsser’s, On Writing Well, he explains that not all readers will like what you say or how you say it. If you lose a reader that way, it’s okay. Like all other relationships in our lives, you and your reader will either get along or you won’t. What isn’t acceptable, according to Zinsser, is losing your audience due to technical errors. He presents his idea of the craft versus the attitude. The craft is the technical skill, and the attitude is the way you use the skill to show your personality.

My High School English Experience

My 12th grade English teacher was not an audience that I got along with. In English class I learned the craft, as we all do, but the attitude piece was missing. Most papers I wrote in that class were well written, meaning they weren’t full of incorrect spelling and improper grammar. But I didn’t always receive the grade that I wanted. Zinsser’s explanation helps me understand that this has to do with my lack of interest in what I was writing about. High school writing to me meant saying what I thought the teacher wanted to hear mixed in with some big fancy words that I’ve never spoken out loud in my life. I never thought to show any personality because I thought you weren’t supposed to. Now I look back and understand what my teacher meant when he said he wanted more. He wanted more of who I am and what I think to show through my writing.

Why College Writing Was Better

In college I started to capture my audience better. I used the same craft as high school, but the attitude was completely different. Declaring a major in college allowed me to take relevant classes to what I wanted to study, meaning more opportunities to write what I care about. Even the daunting 15-page research paper required to graduate didn’t seem so bad because I chose a topic that I was eager to dive into.

Based on the high grade I received on my college-level research paper, much higher than the grades I got on those 12th grade English papers, I know what Zinsser says rings true. My audience likes me better when I like what I say. And even if they still don’t, I’m perfectly okay with that because I wrote something I’m passionate about and that passion shines through the pages, whether my words resonate with my reader or not.