Bad Boy William Zinsser Analysis

William Zinsser the author of “How to Write a Memior” gives three key phrases for writing a memoir. “Be yourself,” “Speak freely,” and “Think small.” This is a way to organize your memoir however you want it to flow. Walter Dean Myers author of “Bad Boy” follows these three phrases that Zinsser suggests by writing from a child’s point of view, freely but honest memoir, and vivid memories. William suggests that the best way to write a memoir is from a child’s point of view. ”The strongest memoirs, I think, are those that preserve the unity of a remembered time and place… which recall what it was like to be a child or an adolescent in a world of adults contending with life’s adversities.’’(Zinsser, paragraph 12) Zinsser feels this way because if you write from an adult’s point of view it is plan and boring, but if you write from a child’s perspective it would seem like its actually happening. Walter also writes from a child’s point of view. He does this by telling the audience about how he felt when he was younger and not hiding it. While writing from a child’s point of view he is also speaking freely. ”The tears already flowing.’’ (Walter, page 19) Every chapter of the book is a little memory inside of the bigger memory.

“My final reducing advice can be summed up into two words: think small. Don’t rummage around in your past…” (Zinsser, paragraph 30) He says he likes to write vivid memories that are in his mind in his memoir. Walter does this by putting important and vivid memories of his past. “But I had… deserved the award for Outstanding Boy.” (Walter, page 68) Walter thinks this is an important memory even thought it might not look like it. In school Walter wasn't a very good student when it came to behavior so something like “outstanding boy” was a big achievement. So don't freak out about writing something bib when you can think