| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Writer's reference library: Editor's Notes #283 March 19, 2019 |
| Hello, It’s never just a random collection of books. –Carlos María Domínguez In this issue: 1. Writers’ reference library 2. Tickled my funny bone 3. Interesting Web site 4. Writing prompt 5. A special offer for you 1. Writers’ reference library Owning a writer’s reference library made me feel more truly like a serious writer. It turned out that the same library made me a better-equipped editor. Here are my can’t-live-without-it list of reference books. Even in the world of the Web, I keep a hard copy dictionary on my desk. None of the free online versions is as thorough as the dictionary on my shelf. The dictionary you choose will depend on where you live in the world or where you plan to publish. Buy the best one you can afford, even if it’s just a paperback version. I also prefer a hard copy thesaurus, the book that suggests alternate words as well as their opposites, because often the words that surround the one I look up yield excellent results. That feature isn’t available online. The gold standard is Roget’s International Thesaurus. A simple and basic style guide, Elements of Style, referred to most often as Strunk and White after the authors, is a must-have. This one book will get a writer through the most frequent tangles of grammar and punctuation. It is inexpensive, takes up almost no space, and is rich in content. Much more detailed is Chicago Manual of Style. I refer to mine almost every time I edit and often when I write. Many publishers use it as a base for their own style guide. If you submit manuscripts to most US publishers, you will be fine if you take this particular style guide’s advice. Depending where you live, there are other style guides that take non-American English dialects into account. Australia has one created by the government: Style Manual: For authors, editors and printers. Canada’s style guide is published by Editors’ Association of Canada: Editing Canadian English. The United Kingdom has a style guide published by Oxford University: Oxford Style Manual. When a client writes specialized non-fiction, we choose from a range of academic style guides. The link here leads to information on a variety of academic style guides. Not all links on the page work properly, but the descriptions are helpful in choosing which guide applies to a specific project. https://www.enago.com/academy/how-to-choose-a-style-guide-for-academic-writing/ I do not own these guides because they change frequently and most have information online. If you have an undergraduate degree, you probably had to submit assignments using one or other of these guides. If you recall the things your guide stipulated, you can search for the same information in other guides online. I recently came across a good grammar resource. See Interesting Web site below for a free version. Once you have these at your fingertips, you can branch out and include other references and books of inspiration to keep you writing. My own ebook on how to self-edit may be a good place to start. https://www.writershelper.com/gywffsales.html =========== 2.Tickled my funny bone Why didn't the thief burgle the library? Because he was afraid the judge would give him a long sentence. =========== 3. Interesting Web site This link takes you to a page where you can download a basic free grammar book. If you like it, and want to learn more, you can buy other products from this site. https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com =========== 4. Writing prompt Visit your local library with paper and pencil or a tablet. Search the stacks for an interesting title or a list of titles. Record your choice or choices. Don’t open the books. Just write, using the titles for inspiration. =========== 5. A special offer for you Free “Independent Author Book Design Tip Sheet” for Editor’s Notes subscribers when they order designs from SJBarnesDesign. Offer extends to book covers, interior design, business cards, author websites and book event flyers. Email sjbarnesdesign@gmail.com and mention this deal to find out more. =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor Link on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/audreyowen (Email me first so I know how you know me.) =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html |
| Back to Back Issues Page |