Writing skills

The Elements of Style- Fourth Edition

5 stars (timeless) - The Elements of Style is one of the most important books that I own. Although I'm out of college, I refer to it again and again. Even if I'm not correcting grammar or punctuation, I'll still open the book to see what beautiful writing looks like. The writing is so darn clear that I often joke, "If God wanted someone to teach Jesus how to write, God would have hired Strunk and White." The last chapter deals with writing and how to craft one's own voice. This is valuable for everyone, and although Elements isn't a "how to" book on fiction writing, I've found S&W's advice to be sound while working on novels and short stories. Keep this book in your coat pocket. Study it at red lights or on the subway. This book is timeless. Lee Tasey Author of "The Gospel of Arnie." 4 stars (A Classic) - It's funny, when I was studying creative writing with Frank McCourt, there was no mention of this book in his classroom. And in my conversations with Neil Strauss, "Style" himself never once brought up this book on Style. Who is it, then, that reads this little manual? Academics? Everything it says is important, but the most imporant aspect of great writing is clear and engaging communication. You can read this book, but you might do better to read the best writers. McCourt, Strauss, Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, E.L. Doctrow, Tom Wolfe -- now there's a syllabus for learning the elements of Style. 5 stars (Great! There is nothing else to be said about this book) - This is a short book that deserves a short review: buy it, read it, trust it. You will write better after doing what it says you should do. Your text will be shorter too, which makes it better yet. ...
Longman :: Technology & Technical Writing :: Writing Skills :: Technical Writing :: Style :: Rhetoric :: Report writing :: Reference :: Literary style :: Language Arts & Discipl :: The Elements of Style- Fourth Edition

Writers Inc- A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning

4 stars (Helpful Handbook) - This book is helpful, especially for middle school aged children who are learning the proper techniques of writing. It is easy to use. 5 stars (Outstanding Resource: Simple, Organized, Invaluable!!) - It has been proven time and time again the necessity of well-spoken and well-written language. Industry professionals, chief executive officers, and medical students use a different language than rap musicians and drug dealers. Those with the few minutes required to easily reference this book while writing will far exceed the minimalist expectations of modern education and, no doubt, far exceed the annual income level of their post graduate classmates. Neither race nor economic class is as great a social divide as language abuse and misuse. Not only has this book remained in print for quite some time, but it is one of the few books from high school I refuse to discard. Reading this book from cover to cover, although personally encouraged, is not absolutely necessary. Organized more akin to a dictionary, this guide is ridiculously simple to navigate within its many tips and tricks. Although I held a great jealously towards my senior-year, male English teacher who managed to steal the attention of the few young women in our class through the rhyme and reason of old poetry, he did our class a great justice through the forced purchase of this book. The difficult choices you make in life determine your overall success or failure; ask, what literature will survive the test of time: Shakespeare or your last AOL Instant Messenger conversation? 4 stars (essential guide) - I was introduced to this book in high school where we were required to have a copy and use it throughout all four years of English classes. I found it so invaluable that my first copy was worn out during college. Combined with "The Elements of Sytle" (Strunk and White), there is no excuse for poor writing. ...
Great Source Education Group :: Writing Skills :: Reference :: Language Arts - Composition & Creative Writing :: Juvenile Nonfiction :: Children- Young Adult (Gr 10-12) :: P Sebranek :: :: Writers Inc- A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning

AP Stylebook

5 stars ( AP Stylebook ) - This book was purchased for use in a college public relations office. I'm sure it will become one of the most helpful manuals we have! 5 stars (It delivers the goods) - The AP Stylebook is a great desk reference for corporate communicators. Rules and samples make using it easy. 3 stars (Woe is I!) - As a working writer writing all the time for other people, I am, alas, forced to write in the style of their chosen style guide. I do not like writing according to the AP Style guide. My chief complaint is that the AP, which is now the preferred choice, it appears, is a bit drunk on its own power. They have always been a "aw relax, don't make such a big deal of it" kind of style guide, which I like, but now that they rule the roost, they do get rather twitchy and adamant about things that simply are not that important. Case in point is the AP's approach to the comma, which can be summarized as such: use a comma if you really really really need it, and if you don't or can get away with not using it, then don't. This is most egregious in their discussion of the serial comma. I tend to prefer a rule. I like the serial comma. I like red, white, and blue and so does good old Strunk & White. At the same time, the AP is nuts about hyphens! I think the AP goes overboard with hyphens. Email does not need a hyphen. Yes, electronic-mail address does, but email does not. The whole do you spell out the number thing is just a mess! And I am not so sure that they are as thoughtful on bias in language as they could be. What is my point? Do I have one? Perhaps not. This is the preferred guide and reflects a kind of vanilla - fication of language. You do not need to follow all their rules, and you can create your own, if you like, too. That is what makes writing so fun! I recommend incorporating some quirks, such as the New Yorker's use of the umlaut in words such as cooperate. Make up a better rule for spelling out numbers and using ampersands. And g...
Basic Books :: Writing Skills :: United States :: Style manuals :: Research And Report Writing :: Reference :: Libel and slander :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Journ :: AP Stylebook

Brief Penguin Handbook- The 2nd Edition

Brief Penguin Handbook, The (2nd Edition)...
Longman :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Writing Skills :: Rhetoric :: Report writing :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Langua :: Brief Penguin Handbook- The (2nd Edition)

The Gregg Reference Manual - A Manual of Style- Grammar- Usage- and Formatting Gregg Reference Manu

5 stars (Must Have Grammar Reference) - This is the most comprehensive guide that I have come across. A must have for every secretary! 4 stars (Gregg Reference Manual 10th Edition) - I am a medical transcriptionist and my job requires to know punctuation, spelling, and good grammar. This book is presently serving its purpose. I may not know everything but whenever I have a question regarding punctuation and grammar, I always refer to the book. Because of this book, I am able to do my job confidently and it is so rewarding to know that I am doing it right. I still have a lot to read up on this book, but I am glad that there is such a book to help out people like me, although a high school graduate and still needing help in these areas. Thank you for making it possible. 5 stars (Excellent resource) - I first encountered Gregg when it was a required text in an English composition class I took in college. Over the past several decades, I've bought every new edition of the GRM and have relied on it in my work in various educational institutions. Like me, you may want to have one copy for home and one copy for the office. I absolutely agree with other reviewers that it is not only easy to understand but also easy to use. I cannot recommend it highly enough. ...
McGraw-Hill-Irwin :: Business & Economics & Business Communication :: Writing Skills :: Transcription :: Reference :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Grammar :: English language :: Business& :: The Gregg Reference Manual - A Manual of Style- Grammar- Usage- and Formatting (Gregg Reference Manu

Concise Rules Of Apa Style Concise Rules of the American Psychological Association APA Style

2 stars (My Review) - Some peopel may find this book useful. I am just begining to learn the APA format and I did not find this book to be user friendly. I have had better information given to me from handouts from other books. 5 stars (Critical Information for Writing for the APA Publications) - The first question you'd have to ask about this book is Why would the American Psychological Association have a style guide. The answer is that the APA Style is the definitive guide to the style that the APA wants to see in their publications and this style is also used by a number of other publications that have adopted the APA Style. Among the critical points of the APA Style is how to construct an error-free reference list crediting all sources properly and avoiding all charges of plagiarism. This has become extremely critical in today's world where any research seems subject to actively looking for any way they can discredit someone else rather than do their own work. In addition the style book is an authoritative guide to how best to present the ideas and data that is so hard to gather. Being able to present data in a way that is understandable to the reader is perhaps the most difficult yet the most important part of writing a paper. This book is the concise version. It is a small format book designed to be convenient, portable and yet complete. ...
American Psychological Association (APA) :: Writing Skills :: Social sciences :: Reference :: Publishing :: Psychology :: Professional - General :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Composition & Creative Writing - :: Concise Rules Of Apa Style (Concise Rules of the American Psychological Association (APA) Style)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers- Sixth Edition

5 stars (MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition) - This book will take you step by step on how to write a research paper. The topics are listed at the beginning of each parragraph. Some of the paragraphs have the main points and highlights at the end. It's a great book to have handy. 5 stars (MLA Handbook for writers of Research Papers, sixth editions) - An excellent overall guide for writing research papers. I highly recommend this product for all college and college-bound students. What a remarkable way to display and work with the English Language. 5 stars (Must have...) - This is a very important handbook for English Graduate students, especially since professors expect only the best papers from their students at this level. The layout is very simple and it covers almost everything. I like how it goes into punctuation issues; I always have trouble remembering when to use semi-colons versus commas. I'm probably still using them wrong. There are a few grammer issues I wish they'd include, such as "who" versus "whom," but overall most everything is covered. ...
Modern Language Association of America :: Writing Skills :: Research :: Report writing :: Reference :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Handbooks & Manuals :: Editing & P :: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers- Sixth Edition

Bird by Bird - Some Instructions on Writing and Life

3 stars (Tone is wearing) - In "Bird by Bird," author Anne Lamott offers a reasonable amount of advice on the craft and reality of writing. Many of her suggestions are intriguing and creative: writing to a one-inch frame, comparing writing to a Polaroid photo, writing as a letter or a present. The best and most compelling sections of this book are those in which she writes extensively about her own experiences. Several sections are genuinely moving. Unfortunately, Lamott has a rambling, obsessive, stream-of-consciousness style of writing which reminds me of the Cathy comic strip. Here's an example from the book: "You may begin showing signs of schizophrenia--like you'll stare at the word schizophrenia so long that it will start to look wrong and you won't be able to find it in the dictionary and you'll start to think you made it up, and then you'll notice a tiny mouth sore, one of those tiny canker sores that your tongue can't keep away from, that feels like a wound the size of a marble, but when you go to study it in the mirror, you see that it is a white spot roughly as big as a pinhead. Still, the next thing you know--because you're spending too much time alone--you are convinced that you have mouth cancer, just like good old Sigmund, and you know instantly that doctors will have to cut away half your jaw, trying to save your miserable obsessive-compulsive head from being cannibalized by the cancer, and you'll have to go around wearing a hood over your entire face, and no one will ever want to kiss you again, not that they ever really did." Some readers may find that style of writing delightfully funny. I found it wearing and annoying. To be fair, in this excerpt, Lamott was illustrating how the mind wanders when one is trying to write. But this was not the first excerpt in the book that dealt with mouth sores, and this writing style pervades the entire book. It should also be noted that Lamott uses frequent profanity. I would not be comfortable recommending ...
Anchor :: Reference & Writing Skills :: Writing Skills :: Reference :: Language Arts & Disciplines :: Language :: Journalism :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Composition & Creat :: Bird by Bird - Some Instructions on Writing and Life

The Chicago Manual of Style

5 stars (Comprehensive resource) - I am currently using my Chicago Manual of Style for law journal editing. It's a great comprehensive resource for style, grammar and usage. I don't know what I would do without it! 5 stars (Solid) - There are a number of style manuals out there. This one is no-nonsense, authoritative, and well-respected. If you want to learn to sharpen your writing and language skills, it would serve you well to study this text and keep it handy for reference. 5 stars (usefulness without end) - Keeping a copy of the 15th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style nearby is like having a friend to consult over matters of writing style. Whether or not one intends to abide by "the rules", it is certainly useful to have ready access to them. ...
University Of Chicago Press :: Reference & Writing Skills :: Writing Skills :: Style manuals :: Reference :: Printing :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Gener :: The Chicago Manual of Style

Hodges- Harbrace Handbook

5 stars (Hodges' Harbrace Handbook) - I've been using this handbook for about 25 years, and recently realized that my edition was the 3rd, published in the 1970s! So I ordered the latest edition (14th edition), and was so pleased with my purchase. This is a handbook that lives in our office, and gets used to death (we do graphic design, copywriting, editing). Any new employee on our staff is required to at least become familiar with the table of contents (in case of emergency!), and very soon they too are heading for Harbrace's to look up something. We love it. 5 stars (The Guide for American English) - It never ceases to amaze me how many times some ... grammarian tries to correct my writing only to review my Harbrace College Handbook to see they're wrong and I'm right. This is the definitive guide to American English grammar. Easy to read, plenty of examples, and more importantly it even covers those gray areas of usage letting the ready know this non-standard without simply cutting you off without explanation. I have purchased the latest edition ever since I purchased my first copy as text to Advanced Composition during my undergraduate days at the University of Maryland University College. Harbrace as served me very well ever since helping me obtain a high GPA in regards to my written assignments. I have a lot of other grammar books that I look at now and then, but Harbrace remains the standard. 5 stars (The Guide for American English) - It never ceases to amaze me how many times some anal grammarian tries to correct my writing only to review my Harbrace College Handbook to see they're wrong and I'm right. This is the definitive guide to American English grammar. Easy to read, plenty of examples, and more importantly it even covers those gray areas of usage letting the ready know this non-standard without simply cutting you off without explanation. I have purchased the latest edition ever since I purchased my first copy as text to Advanced Composition during my ...
Heinle :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Writing Skills :: Rhetoric :: Reference :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Handbooks & Manuals :: Gramm :: Hodges- Harbrace Handbook

Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers

Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers ...
Prentice Hall :: Writing skills :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Creative writing guides :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Languag :: Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers

On Writing Well- 25th Anniversary - The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction On Writing Well

4 stars (Excellent) - This is an excellent and important book of its genre, but I will never forget Frank McCourt's repeated advice to us after studying creative writing with him in High School -- write what you know. If you just stick to that little kernel, the worst grammer, the worst punctuation, the worst spelling -- none of it will matter. When you know your subject, the writing is effortless... and amazing. 5 stars (RE: Synaptic Mogul's Puzzling Review) - I too read Bill Zinsser--years ago. It puzzles me that Synaptic mogul could review Shadow Divers--a poorly written book--with the benefit of having just read On Writing Well--an excellent book--and discover no writing errors whatsoever. (See my review of Shadow Divers.) I wonder what Bill Zinsser himself would say about Shadow Divers? On Writing Well was the best book of it's time. Now there are other books that are as good as Zinsser's, or better,"Words Fail Me," for instance. 5 stars (How To Improve Your Book Reviews on Amazon) - Zinsser asserts that writing well can be learned. This is good news. I thought I wrote well until I compared my reviews to those of some of the consistent top reviewers on Amazon. How do they do that? According to Zinsser (and affirmed by Tom Clancy on a TV interview), good writers follow rules, editing each sentence and paragraph multiple times. They write against deadlines whether or not they're feeling inspired. When done properly, the finished product can look deceptively simple to write. Following is my liberally abridged summary of Zinsser's rules: 1. Do - prune out every word that does not perform a necessary function. Strip each sentence to its cleanest components. A clear sentence is no accident. 2. Do - use the thesaurus liberally. Learn the small gradations between word that seem to be synonyms. 3. Do - try to improve the rhythm by reversing the order of a sentence, substituting a word that has freshness or oddity and by varying the lengths of sentences....
Collins :: Reference & Writing Skills :: Writing Skills :: Rhetoric :: Report writing :: Reference :: Language Arts & Disciplines :: Language :: Exposition (Rhetoric) :: English :: On Writing Well- 25th Anniversary - The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (On Writing Well)