Reblogged from A Teacher’s Reflections:

I love writing.  This summer I read the best book on how to write, the advice of E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web and other classics. Oh, I have read a host of posts and articles on writing, many from fellow bloggers.  They are all filled with terrific advice, but none compare to the simple, direct  advice of E.B. White.

It all started with reading the new book, Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet. I wanted to learn more about White. After all, Charlotte’s Web is my first chapter reading book of the year in my classroom.

The book is far more than E.B. White’s story. I am going to call him Andy in this blog post, as that was the nickname given to him by his Cornell University classmates.  His English professor at Cornell was William Strunk, who taught English from the book he wrote, The Elements of Style.  Andy greatly respected his professor, and as what often happens with good books, this book came into play much later in Andy’s life.

Children’s books were not even on the radar for Andy.  While he spent summers in Maine with a great love for the outdoors, his writing was not for children.  Well, not yet.  Andy’s first job after graduation was with the Seattle Times.  His writing was excellent, yet wordy.  Finally his boss said:

“Just say the words.”  That stuck with Andy the rest of his life.

Continue reading :  Hear Ye, Hear Ye! E.B. White on How To Write | A Teacher’s Reflections