Overview
Purchase (or borrow) the book “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk and E.B. White (preferably the 4th edition). You may be able to find a pdf version online or can buy an ebook for cheap, but I recommend the physical copy because some of the formatting comes out a bit odd on the digital version and it’s still pretty cheap (the library also has a few copies).
Read through the book (it’s very short) and take notes (handwritten or typed is fine, but you will need to turn them in so don't take notes in the book itself) and think about how valuable you found the different pieces of advice in the book.
Make sure you have read through The Elements of Style before reading through the following material:
The Elements of Style has been one of the most widely assigned books in college writing classes since its publication over 50 years ago. In the intro to his own writing manual, On Writing, Stephen King wrote:
"This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don't understand very much about what they do — not why it works when it's good, not why it doesn't when it's bad. I figured the shorter the book, the less the bullshit. One notable exception to the bullshit rule is The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. There is little or no detectable bullshit in that book...I'll tell you right now that every aspiring writer should read The Elements of Style."
Despite the endorsement from prominent writers like King and college writing professors across the country, The Elements of Style has remained a subject of controversy. Read through the following two articles that give a less positive perspective on the role Strunk and White's guide has played in shaping good writing over the years:
Write a short (1-2 page double spaced) piece that reflects on what "writing well" really means, incorporating your thoughts on The Elements of Style and writing advice in general. You may want to also write about your own relationship with writing and how it has been taught (or have you have self taught) throughout all your years in school. This is a very open-ended prompt and the goal is just to practice writing so feel free to write about whatever you think is worth touching on in your own journey to becoming a better writer.
Turn in both your notes from the book and your response.