Grammatical Resources

Howdy, Folks.

Do any of you have a recommendation for grammar and writing skills resources? Any specific books that have help any of you? Any handbooks that you keep going back to for reference? Is there a standard or an accepted "best" most writers use?

Before I get too far down the road with my manuscript, I need to review the rules of writing and back check my work.

Thoughts?

I appreciate it, thanks,

keller :shrug

The Elements of Style

One that may be on every serious writer's bookshelf is "The Elements of Style," by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, and Roger Angell. It's thorough enough, and at $7.95 (US), inexpensive.

I also refer to the "St. Martin's Handbook" and the "Chicago Manual of Style." Both delve more deeply than Strunk into nit-picking details of writing situations which may never happen to you, many of which might well be the task of your editor once your manuscript it accepted.

Of course, the biggie for me is a thesaurus sorted by subject (rather than alphabetically)--I refer to it often. I also reach for the dictionary more than I like to admit!

Maryn

Re: The Elements of Style

Annoying--grr, what is up with the board lately? I just had another post eaten by cyber space---

OK--two sources other than what is listed already are:

www.dailygrammar.com/

You get a daily grammar lesson in your e-mail or you can look stuff up in the archives to find a simple to understand quick lesson on something you are having trouble with.

Also, Grammar for Dummies, really--this is a very good, easy to understand book.

Shawn

Online Resources

The Purdue Online Writing Lab is very good.

owl.english.purdue.edu/

There's also an on-line grammar (although this is more of a reference work) at:

www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/

I've found these to be quite useful, and they are just plain interesting to read.

memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlp...anics.html

www.ateg.org/conferences/c14/smith.htm 8o

Grammar

Strunk & White is considered the writer's Bible, and no writer should ever be without it. It's a book to read thrugh, and then read again every so often. It's simple, easy to understand, yet contains everything a fiction writer needs.

For those with serious grammar problems, I think the best possible book is a seventh grade grammar book. If you master what's in a seventh grade grammar book you'll have all the grammar and punctuation tools a fiction writer needs, and then some.

The best place to get one is usually the nearest seventh grade school. If they don;t have one to sell, they can tell you where to order one of your own, and will sometimes order one for you.