What book on writing changed how you write forever?

If you learn how to write from a manual instead of just picking it up from reading truly great books, you are part of the problem.
James Salter changed how I write, but that's because he writes in a distinctive way, not because he told me how to write,

>>8743089
>If you learn how to write from a manual instead of just picking it up from reading truly great books, you are part of the problem.

le learning by osmosis meme. thread went full retard right out of the gate, thanks /lit/

>if you don't pick up painting by just looking at cool paintings then you are part of the problem study is for fags
>if you don't pick up music just by listening to dope tunes you are part of the problem
>if you don't pick up construction just from watching mexicans build houses, you are part of the problem

yeah just wing it my dude

>>8743089

Get a load of this capricious pseud.

You can do both, clown.

>>8743089
Have you ever read a customer email from the average English speaking pleb? Or gotten an email from Grace "Winky Face" Fullman across the office?

Elements of Style, and even some bits of Stephen King's one, should be the basis for English lessons in school. About 1 in a 100 people understand brevity, or active verbs, or how -ly adverbs make sentences clunky.

>muh personal style
No such fucking thing. Straight-forward communication is all that should matter.

>>8743084
I'd say E Annie Proulx's Close Range as an example of tight efficient style. But reading bad books and seeing how NOT to write is a valuable too.

>>8743084
Reading Chuck Palahniuk permanently devolved my writing skill. I haven't written something to be proud of since reading him.

>>8743596
>how -ly adverbs make sentences clunky

I hate this meme.

File: 0e9.jpg (51KB, 499x499px) Image search: [Google]

51KB, 499x499px

>>8743618
I completely disagree with you. It's undeniably true that -ly adverbs are liberally applied by most writers to artificially bulk up word count and serreptiously try to sound smarter. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that haphazardly adding these words applify writing just because they have lots of syllables. Obviously, you are clearly a faggot and lovingly lick up cum at every possible opportunity.