word and expression
not if I can help it
spoken used to say that you are not going to do something
>‘Are you going to watch the school play?’ ‘Not if I can help it.’
这里的help有制止的意思。这个短语是口语用法。
be in the mood to do sth
想要做某事，有心情做某事
be in a mood是发脾气的意思。
curry favor
to praise someone, especially someone in authority, in a way that is not sincere, in order to get some advantage for yourself
（尤指对当权者）讨好，奉承，拍马屁
>He's always trying to curry favour with the boss.
他总是想方设法拍老板马屁。
root around
informal，uk also root about (somewhere), root round (somewhere)
tosearchfor something,especiallybylookingthrough other things
（尤指在其他物品中）翻找，翻寻
She wasrootingaround in herdrawerfor apencil.她在抽屉中翻找铅笔。
stick around
stay where you are,often because you are waiting for sth.
关于吸引读者，作者用了hook,capture,coax,lure,cajole等单词。
dwell on/upon sth.
to think or talk for too long about sth, especially sth unpleasant.
WHAT I LEARNED
写作是一项技艺，它不是随心所欲就能做好的事，技艺都有基本功，只有把握好原则、打好根基，才能建成文章的高楼大厦。我们背单词、学语法，都是在为好的写作打根基。但是有一点我们一直忽视了：简洁。学生时代老师就让我们摘录好词好句，看辞藻华丽的范文，但是一个好句子并不是一个看似华丽的句子，它应该简洁明了。
老师还让我们套模板，不管是中文还是英文写作，永远有开头、过渡、结尾的范本，大家都写成了风格近似的八股文，我们写的不是自己的想法，而是认为阅卷老师会喜欢的想法，大概是另一类的政治正确。但是写作最重要的是做自己，真诚地袒露自己，已经不是要考语文的学生，不要再写死板的八股文。
写作还需要一个很重要的能力：逻辑清晰。有清晰的逻辑才能写出清晰易懂的文字。逻辑是可以锻炼的。深感长期懈怠的头脑已经让我的逻辑思维混乱不堪，欠缺大量的阅读让语言苍白无力。但是我相信遵循原则勤奋地刻意练习，会慢慢进步的。
SUMMARY
The transaction: Different writers have different methods to write. The product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being wrriten about, but who he or she is. Readers know the writers through their books. This is the personal transaction, and the most important qualities are warmth and humanity.
Simplify: Clutter is the disease of writing. The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Clear thinking leads to clear writing.Writing is arduous work, it's normal to feel desperate sometimes.
Clutter: Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing.Clutter is the ponderous euphemism that turns a slum into a depressed socioeconomic area. Our life is full of clutter.Try best to strip them.
Style: A fundamental rule of writing is: BE YOURSELF. It's hard, the writers must relax and have confidence. Believe yourself, sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Your style is who you are.
The audience: You are writing for yourself. Don't try to guess what sort of thing readers and editors want to read. Write what you want to say from your heart.
Word&Usage: Learn to use the right word. How? 1.Learn from other writers. Writing is learned by imitation. 2.Use dictionaries. 3.Rhythm and alliteration are vital to every sentence.
Unity: Unity of pronoun, tense and mood is the anchor of good writing.
The lead and the ending: Capture your reader immediately in the lead and take your readers slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right in the end.