Writing Genres Preparing Submitting Protecting Contracts Process Marketing Networking

Chapter Two: Writing It Too often people look at the fame and wealth of a small handful of best-selling authors and falsely assume, first, that it was a snap for them to write and sell their books and, second, that this is something that anyone can do. We are frequently told of conversations writers have with friends and acquaintances in which the writer says they are working on a book and friend or acquaintance responds that they have been thinking of doing that as well and maybe will zip one out as soon as they have a free weekend. The understanding that being a surgeon or lawyer or schoolteacher requires considerable appropriate talent and prior education just doesn’t seem to apply to this "anyone can do it" profession of writing. But writing for publication for profit isn’t something that just anyone can do—or even that just any intelligent person can do—without specific talents and construction of a foundation for creative writing. Those best-selling authors who seem to have suddenly fallen into fame and riches on the basis of a published book didn’t exactly just fall off the apple cart. Nearly all of them had years and years of writing education and experience and early, not-so-successful books under their belts. In addition to needing to have the natural talent to be able to tell a fresh story well in written form, being able to write for publication requires specialized knowledge in the somewhat-unique sentence construction, grammar, punctuation, spelling, word usage, and presentation style preferences of the book-publishing industry. What you learned in high school English or college English composition will stay you in good stead in life, but it does not suffice for the style in which books, journals, magazines, and newspapers are presented in the publishing market. This chapter does not substitute for a comprehensive building of a firm foundation for creative book writing, but it answers some questions in how and why book publishing style differs from the style learned in mainline schools and offers up some shortcuts in using prevalent book style in your writing. It provides tips on healthy writer attitudes, responses to actual questions aspiring writers have asked on the basic writing issues of the rewards of writing, what to write, how to write it, and how to get it evaluated. Although the question of what genre or category your own writing will be given is touched on in this chapter, chapter 3 ("Genres") goes into this issue in more detail. Chapter 4 ("Submitting/General") will provide help in preparing your manuscript for submission. The questions concerned with how to get your book published, once it is written, will then be discussed in succeeding chapters. Introduction to the Writing Phase I know what I want to write, but I’m just starting that process. Are there any hints or aids that will help me get through the writing phase? The very first step in getting published is to write something that others will want to read (and will pay for, if your goal is to make a professional career out of your writing). Even though you may have a natural talent for spinning a good story on paper, this step isn’t nearly as easy as it appears to be. With a view toward the mountain of offerings by people who would like to see their books in print, it would seem that for centuries the only obstacle that stood in the way of every person being a published book author was a fast, convenient way to produce legible words on paper in multiple copies, an obstacle that has now been demolished by the invention of the computer. The relatively recent inventions in printing from the printing press through movable type to the "computer on every table surface" and print-on-demand technology revolutions, coupled with the increase in free time from tiring labor in the workplace and general education levels, have opened the floodgates of the stream of would-be book authors. However, although the base has also broadened on topics of reader interest, the demand for books by buying readers—although also increasing overall—has been far outstripped by supply. In such an atmosphere as this, it has become increasingly important that prospective book authors write from a foundation of talent, experience, education, and training and that they bring innovative and polished books to the marketplace. You, of course, cannot acquire the innate talents of a good storyteller or someone who can successfully translate that story into writing if you don’t naturally have them, but you can hone what talent there is by learning the basic elements of creative writing and the elements of style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation and exercising that combination of talent and skill by extensive practice. You can best build and feed this foundation for successful writing by: Studying and frequently consulting published writers aids and commentaries on the art of writing (recommendations on and listings of these can be found in the resource and links section of this chapter); Attending creative writing and language arts classes at your local university or community center—or taking such courses on line; Joining a writers group that meets either face to face or online. In seeking such a group, look for one where one or more of the participants has good credentials in studying and frequently consulting published writers aids and commentaries on the creative writing and/or language arts and where there are participants who have more experience in writing than you do, so that your own development will be pulled rather than blindly pushed; Following one or more writer’s Web site discussion groups on the Internet to broaden your base in what is involved in writing and publishing and in who to turn to for support and information in your own writing endeavors; Read voraciously in the genres in which you wish to write and learn to become aware of style and structure of these stories in addition to characterization, scene, and plot; Write, write, and write. This is a profession in which practice can aid development. Writers' Attitude Tips 1. Write from the base of experience and good research. Your writing will be more fluid and convincing, publishers select (nonfiction, at least) largely on the basis of the author’s credentials, and publishers are more willing to adopt books when the author has a good idea how to reach a market for the topic. 2. Write primarily for the sheer enjoyment of it. Consider taking up golf or tennis if you do not have a flexible, patient, and thick-skinned disposition. If you feel pressured by short-term expectations of profitable publication, your writing will reflect that. There are hordes of authors and potential authors; very few of these live on royalties alone. 3. Produce the very best writing and manuscript submission you can before seeking a publisher. If you are literary enough to produce a work that will catch the interest of an acquisitions editor at a traditional publishing house, chances are good that your writing style and grammar will be sufficiently good for you not to need to have your work professionally edited before submission (and noting on your submission that it already has been professionally edited most probably will not cut any ice with publishing house editors, who will be sending everything out for editing by their own editors in any event). That said, well-written and grammatically clean manuscripts submitted in keeping with standard format guidance will naturally have the advantage with acquisition editors. If you are submitting to a subsidy or vanity publisher or are self-publishing, of course, you will want to provide a nearly flawless manuscript at the submission stage and very possibly will want to seek professional help in producing the finished manuscript. Use your computer program’s spell check program at every stage of writing, but do not fully trust this program. It will not catch acceptable words used incorrectly in context, and it will question perfectly acceptable words, especially those in tenses other than the present; plurals; and publishing industry-preferred hyphenations. Check and recheck everything yourself with an acceptable dictionary. 4. Read as much as you can in the genre (or on the topic) you are writing, paying as much attention to how it’s being said as to what is being said. Also note what publishers are publishing in this field; this is where you will start in finding a publisher of your own. Check the acknowledgment pages of the books you read. This, again, may provide leads on literary agents and editors who are associated with the type of book you want to sell. 5. Don’t finish your book in isolation, if you can avoid it. You alone, and even you in combination with your loved ones—and your cheering section bosom buddies (as important as these support mechanisms are)—can’t be totally objective about your manuscript. Take writing classes; join a writing group. Find more than one person who will read your material and who will be vocal and expansive in telling you what they liked or didn’t like and what seemed to work and didn’t work. If they tell you they didn’t understand something, rewrite it. That you, the author, understood it when you wrote it is not sufficient or relevant. You want your reader to understand it without the benefit you had of knowing before the thought was written what idea you meant to convey. At the minimum, read your material out loud to yourself after writing it. If you quickly get off track in understanding what you are reading, find that the words lack a natural—or the intended—rhythm, or lose your breath and get blue in the face before reaching the next period, you don’t really need anyone else to tell you it’s time to revise. Rewards of Writing: Questions How much money is there in writing? Say, writing a 200–300 page book or writing a short story or article for a magazine? What is paid—if anything—for writing, varies so wildly that this question cannot be satisfactorily answered. Local newspapers tend to pay little—often no more than $20 or even nothing more than the experience of exposure—for articles. National newspapers can pay in the hundreds or thousands of dollars for an article, depending on the importance and length of the article. Syndicated columnists—those who, like Dave Berry, have their columns appear in multiple major newspapers—can make in the millions on an annual basis. What magazines pay can depend largely on their reader base and on the reader base of the author. (Lynn Wasnak of Writer’s Digest, has a detailed "How Much Should I Charge" chart for magazine/journal articles at http://www.writersmarket.com/content/howmuch8.asp and newspaper articles at http://www.writersmarket.com/content/howmuch9.asp.) The profit taken from writing a book, too, can vary wildly from the minus figures to many millions of dollars. However, budding book authors should be aware that there are many, many more book authors who are making little or nothing from the publication of their books than those who are being fully supported from their writing. How long do authors take to write a book? Does it take months or years? The time required to write a book can also vary wildly. Some authors can agonize over their manuscripts for years, while some can pound out a book in three or four weeks. Nonfiction books tend to take longer to write than fiction, because these books should be carefully researched and verified. However, writers who wish to develop a self-sustaining career from their writing need to realize that there is much more involved in being a published author than just composing manuscripts and sending them off to the publisher. Even fiction requires research; before books can be published, the author has to consider acquiring a literary agent and must find a publisher and see the book through production; and even after the book has been published; the author has to help promote sales. At a recent book festival, Victorian England mystery best-selling author Anne Perry described what is probably the typical balancing act a successful book author must perform. She releases books on a schedule of two a year. At any given time, she is envisioning a book for the spring of two years from now, researching and outlining a book for the fall of next year, writing a book for the spring of next year, going through production proofs of a book for fall of this year, and traveling to promote the book to be released this spring and the one that was released last fall. What should writers do who are still trying to get their name out to make a living? Is it a "don’t quit your day job" type of situation? Yes, it generally is a "don’t quit your day job" type of situation until you’ve become profitable. When you delve back into the background of even most "overnight sensation" best-selling authors, you’ll find they experienced many years of preparation and earlier, less-successful writing. Although it seems like there are a good many authors out there who are self-supporting, the number who are self-supporting is dwarfed by the number of published authors who make very little annually on their writing. This number, in turn, is dwarfed by the number of writers who are seeking their first publication. Except for the top sellers who frequently publish new works, income from published books can also be very uneven—you are completely at the mercy of the paying readers, and most books have a short sales life. So, you could be in a high tax bracket one year and on welfare the next—unless, of course, you have some other, steadier source of income in place. Some aspiring authors make the most of the preparations they carefully have made for being a book author by going into professions that are affiliated with book publishing and that can actually help them in their book-writing endeavors. Some become freelance book editors or literary agents, or work in public relations, or develop skills in book setup and production. And more and more writers are putting off a serious run at getting into book publishing until their retirement years, when they have annuities to protect them from "must write" pressure. When do I know it’s time to stop trying to write and publish? Many writers make the mistake of considering writing and being published as the same thing. They are not. Writing is something that everyone should do as long as they are gaining enjoyment or self-knowledge from the exercise. Writing for publication, however, is a more serious endeavor, involving the need for large portions of talent, training, and luck. There may, indeed—for your own mental and physical health—be a time for you to at least suspend your efforts toward publication if you are not finding satisfaction or success. Possibly the first-line response to the "when do you know it’s time to quit" question is that writing doesn’t have as hard an edge on it as a profession where you continually have to keep up with technology, like brain surgery, or keep in top-notch training condition, like a circus knife thrower. Acquired skills in this field don’t atrophy quickly, so you can back away from active writing for months and even years and then come back to it at a later time with little loss of talent or ability—and perhaps in even better position than where you left it if you have gained new and interesting insights, perspectives, and experiences during your period away from the craft. You might consider throwing in the towel, however, for whatever period your work becomes tedious, when you’re filled with self-doubt, when you believe the rejection letters are aimed at you personally, when new interests are shoving the writing onto the back burner, when you no longer feel an emotional bond with your writing, when you feel you’re perfect and all the magazines and book publishers are run by dolts, when your activity is becoming a heavy burden or drain on people you are responsible for, or when you let anyone convince you it’s over. Writing is a good activity and discipline in and of itself. You only need to worry about what talents and skills are required to compete in writing if you wish for your work to be published at someone else’s expense. There would be good reason to continue writing long after you’ve decided that the hassle and frustration of writing for publication no longer appeals to you. If you’re approaching your efforts to be published with thoughts that it’s either a game or a chore, you may be seeing it from the wrong angle. It’s about doing something you enjoy, learning the craft and always striving to perfection in yourself. It’s about gleaning what advice you can from others, but remaining true to yourself. It’s your voice and your ideas that make what you write unique. It’s not about teamwork. Only you can shape the writer within. What to Write: Questions What is a "genre" or book category? A book genre (used usually for fiction) or category (nonfiction) is simply a distinction of one group of books from another by characteristics in form, style, or content the books in that grouping have in common. The importance of such distinctions, an annotated list of the major genres, and a discussion of how the genre of your book is determined—and by whom—provide the focus of chapter 3 ("Genres") of this book. I am writing a series of novels and have written the second one in the series first. Can this be done, and how much history of the first book should I given in the second? It’s fine to do this. You don’t need to go into prior history in depth in the second novel of the series, just make sure that the threads from the prequel to the second novel match up. How to Write It: Questions Are there online writing courses? There are many writing courses on offer on line; you only need to be careful that you research what is being offered to ensure that the instructions have the proper credentials and you will get what you pay for. Some of the better-known Internet courses can be found at http://www.writersvillage.com and http://www.writingclasses.com. How do I write my story? Writing a good story is the flip side of telling a good story. Although you can train to write a good story by taking creative writing courses, the best answer to this question probably is to sit down at the computer or in front of the pad of paper and "just do it." Whether or not your story comes out coherently and in readable and entertaining form probably has much to do what whether you should pursue development as a storywriter. Also, writing your own story—as opposed to writing someone else’s story—has special pitfalls that make it particularly hard to write for the market. Because it is your story, it will be very difficult for you to tell the story objectively and to be balanced and fair toward all involved, particularly if your story is a painful one. This is why, although there are many books of personal trials and perseverance-over-adversity books in bookstores, few of those making their way to the market were written solely by a principle person involved in the events. Most of those that appear to be have actually been written in great part by a ghost writer or were written by preestablished authors. What do "showing" and "telling," mean? "Showing" rather than "telling" is probably the best and most sought-after writing technique in the U.S. book-publishing world at the moment. (The tastes in the British market still run more toward a preference for "telling" and the omniscient—or narration by an all-knowing voice external to the action—voice.) In "telling," the author directly tells the reader what is happening and what emotions the characters are experiencing (e.g., "Ginny was mad at Tommy for putting his feet on the coffee table"). In "showing," the author lets the reader figure out for himself/herself what emotions are involved from the description given and the dialogue itself (e.g., "Ginny paused as she entered the room and scowled at Tommy. She trudged across the room and pushed Tommy’s legs off the coffee table. ‘How many times have I told you to keep your dirty feet off my table?’") How long should the manuscript be for publication? (Novel, novella, short story lengths) The natural answer to this question is that a novel, novella, or short story should be just as long as it takes to cover what needs to be said completely but succinctly (and how long this takes should determine whether the work fell into the novel, novella, or short story category). A short story usually runs up to about 20,000 words in length, a novella is usually somewhere within 30,000 and 55,000 words, and a novel is usually 70,000 words or more. Within the gray areas, a work-specific call has to be made concerning what type of work it is. This judgment is usually based on such things as complexity of character and plot and the number of plot threads that exist in the work. The different genres have different general length requirements, with, for instance, Young Adult novels tending to be in about the 50,000-word range and historical fiction usually being in excess of 100,000 words. When most aspiring authors ask this question; however, they really are asking a different question entirely—they really are asking how long can their own work be and still be competitive in its genre for publication. The answer to this is much more restrictive than just how long a work should be to be a good work, and this answer is driven more by economics than by art. Established writers can usually get away with writing works at any length they please—although there is, of course, a physical restriction on how many pages can be bound between covers. To be competitive in selling that first short story or novel, however, the unknown, first-time author needs to pay attention to the various desired length requirements specified by publishers. Publishers who are taking all of the financial risk on an unknown, first-time author will be looking for books that are the most economical to print and promote per unit. For book publishers, the most marketable books fall between a length of about 75,000 and 90,000 words—although, again, the different genres have slightly different length standards. Magazines, journals, and newspapers will generally be quite explicit about their wordage requirements for short stories. Desired lengths for magazine and journal articles can normally be found in submission guidelines on publisher Web sites; Newspaper article lengths generally are assigned before the story is written. How do I find out the word count of my manuscript? You need not manually count each word in your manuscript or use any other esoteric formula; just take the word count provided by your computer processing program system (usually found under the "tools or properties" label). This won’t be an exact count, because the various computer word processing systems use different formulas to construct counts, but agents and publishers will assume you’ve used this counting mechanism, and they understand that this doesn’t provide an exact count. What do narrative voice and point of view mean? Narrative voice is another name for the person telling the story. Someone needs to let the reader know that John tripped over his cat as he darted out the door, that the dark clouds were roiling like eddies in the sky, that Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest when her handsome neighbor smiled at her, or that the policeman drew his gun. It isn’t so much what is said . . . as how. This sets the tone. The two spoken words, "come here," could depict completely different meanings, depending on who speaks them and how. A stern father commanding his miscreant son to step forward has a completely different tone than a young man asking his sweetheart to "come here" so he can show her an engagement ring and ask her to marry him. Point of view goes hand in glove with narrative voice. If you’ve listened to different people sing a national anthem at sporting events, you’ll hear the same words, but each singer has a unique style and tempo. As a writer, you’re trying to achieve your own unique style with what and how you write. You’re looking for your own unique narrative voice for your story, but first you must choose which POV (point of view) to use. First-person POV: The most common first-person POV is when the protagonist (main character) is the narrator. Everything that takes place in a story must in some way be known by, or directly affect, the actions and reactions of the protagonist. This includes thoughts and feelings. Objective first-person POV narrators don’t delve into thoughts or feelings, but only tell what was said or done without further comment. Multiple narrators are sometimes found when more than one first-person account is rendered. Another type of first-person narrator is that of the observer. This persona isn’t part of the main story, but is the storyteller. Autobiographies are sometimes written about people who lived long ago. Since the author wasn’t actually there, he writes in first-person detached autobiography. When someone remembers and tells the story as a memory, this is first-person interior monologue. Second-person POV: This is a rarely used POV. Very few writers know how to use it, and new writers would probably be wise to avoid it. An example is: "You were rushed to the hospital. You were operated on immediately." Third-person POV: The third-person limited (sometimes referred to as attached) POV allows the reader to see things only through one character’s perspective. The author can delve into the character’s thoughts and feelings. It gives the narrator a comfortable distance while still allowing the possibility of intimacy. This is a "reader friendly" POV, because it lets readers identify with the protagonist. Third-person omniscient POV is often seen in long episodic stories with plots and subplots, such as epic fantasy, or historical novels, because it allows multiple viewpoints to tell the story. How do I find my narrative voice? Most genre works are written in past tense, but there are exceptions. New writers should strongly consider using the past tense for genre writing. Once you’ve chosen which POV to work with, you need to find a balance between the "show" and "tell" of your scenes. Too much description is a turnoff. So, when do you elaborate on describing a scene? Remember this generally accepted rule. Your narrative descriptions must have an impact on the characters, or they must help determine how the reader will perceive them. For example, an elaborate scene describing an island off the starboard bow of a ship, when the ship is proceeding to another island down the chain, has no major role in the story, so just mention it and move on. Don’t describe how the moonlight shimmers off the cars in the parking lot when your protagonist is going to meet a stranger—unless the point is that it’s also sparkling off the barrel of a gun that is about to be fired. Be careful not to shift your verb tenses. If you’ve chosen past tense . . . stick with it. The example "He went early to talk to his boss, and he laughs and says, ‘I can’t give you a raise now!’" should read "He went early to talk to his boss, and he laughed and said, ‘I can’t give you a raise now!’" Your story’s setting, the type of people living in that setting, and what they do should help you determine your narrative voice. The best thing a budding writer can do to find his or her narrative voice is to read many books in the genre or category he or she wishes to pursue. This is the best teacher, because it allows the writer to gather a sense of what is expected . . . and what isn’t. For example, you wouldn’t have a character in the 1800s using expressions like "way out" or "bad" (to describe something good). I am using interviews with other people in my book. What should go into the release form they will have to sign for me to be able to publish their stories? The form can be a simple dated and signed statement denoting agreement to how the interview statements will be used. Information covered in the form should include the purpose of the interview (e.g., that the interview is for use in a for-profit published book entitled "X") and should declare that use permission is providing for this sole purpose. The form should specify any remuneration to be provided to the interviewee, such as a specified amount of money or a complimentary copy of the book when published. The interviewee should receive a copy of the permission form. If the interview is audio or video taped, the purpose of the interview and the permissions for use of interview statements should be captured on the tape. This procedure should be explained to the interviewee before the tape is turned on. (See chapter 8, "Protecting It.") What is plagiarism, and why to I have to be concerned about it in my writing? Plagiarism is the stealing of the identifiable recorded work or concepts of another and attempting to pass it off as your own without giving full credit to the original source. Plagiarism is an actionable act under the copyright laws, so you will want to be careful that you don’t use material written by someone else in any work you want to publish, especially for profit, without written permission from the original author or being covered under the existing "fair use" practices. A full discussion of these matters is provided in chapter 8 ("Protecting It"). How to Get It Evaluated: Questions How can I find a mentor to read and guide my writing? If you are looking for a writing mentor, join a writers support group and, if possible, request direct help from an experienced member of the group; attend writing classes and, if possible, request direct help from the instructor or another experienced student in the class; read books on writing; attend writer’s conferences and network there; or connect with other writers either located near you or on line. Online writers groups can be found at http://www.WritersBBS.com (which provides workshops to help in becoming a better writer) and http://www.all-story.com/index.cgi (which provides different boards for short stories, novellas, poetry, screenplays). Resources and Links Dictionaries Most publishers use the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (currently the 11th) for basic editing and the hefty latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s International Dictionary (currently the 4th) as the final authority. Few individuals are willing to devote money or space to the international version on their desktops, however, and generally make do with the collegiate edition. Webster’s is a "descriptive" dictionary, in that it neutrally describes "how" words are defined and doesn’t help much in making choices whether those words are generally accepted in formal writing. The second-most used dictionary is the latest edition of the American Heritage college dictionary (currently the third). This dictionary is a "prescriptive" dictionary in that it isn’t as quick as Webster’s in accepting slang and gives the writer a better idea of whether and how words are acceptable for use in formal writing. British written English has some striking differences from American written English. The Oxford Dictionary is the authority of choice for British publishing. For writers preparing a work for a British publisher but not wishing to buy the pricey Oxford Dictionary, we recommend the Collins standard and pocket dictionaries (published by HarperCollins). For personal names, publishers usually use Merriam Webster’s Biographical Dictionary (still in its first edition). For place names, publishers usually use Merriam Webster’s Geographical Dictionary (currently the third). For synonyms, use J. I. Rodale and Nancy LaRoche’s The Synonym Finder (Warner Books, 1986). For an encyclopedic dictionary with many extras, including grammar, correspondence, manuscript preparation, dictionary of space, medical dictionary, dictionary of slang, quotations from Reader’s Digest, three foreign-language dictionaries (German, French, and Spanish), and much more, use The Reader’s Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary. Turn to the Reader’s Digest for a unique combination of dictionary and thesaurus, Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder. Other good thesauri include Roget’s Super thesaurus by Writer’s Digest Books, and The Random House Thesaurus, which is published in an easy-to-use pocket paperback size. It has more than 11,000 main entries, with thousands of synonyms and antonyms, sample sentences, and parts of speech and extensive coverage of all levels of vocabulary. Style Manuals Publishers almost always have a few "house style" preferences of their own, but they generally rely on a few standard style manuals. By far, the style manual most in use by the publishing industry—used extensively in both the United States and the United Kingdom—is The Chicago Manual of Style (The University of Chicago Press, 2003), now in its 15th edition. Many scientific publishers use the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association, 2001), currently in its fifth edition. APA also has a helpful FAQ Internet site at http://www.apastyle.org/faqs.html. Some academic publishers rely on Joseph Gibaldi’s MLA Style Manual (The Modern Language Association of America, 1998), and many university English-language programs use his MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (The Modern Language Association of America, 1999), currently in its fifth edition. The U.S. government (and therefore some publishers targeting U.S. government officials) uses the GOP (Government Printing Office) manual of style, published under the formal title of A Manual of Style: A Guide to the Basics of Good Writing (Government Printing Office or Crown Publishers, 1986). Other style manuals can provide authors with general guidance on style choices (although these generally are not used as authorities by commercial publishers). These include Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference: Fourth Edition (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001), This is an easy-to-use tabulated reference covering every element of writing, style, and word choice. It’s a perfect reference for the college student and instructor as well. Another basic style reference for writers, although used more at the college level than in commercial publishing, is the handy paperback by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style: Fourth Edition (Allen and Bacon, 2000). A Web site based on this style manual can be found at http://www.ablongman.com. The primary style manual for news organization work is The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (edited by Norm Goldstein, sixth edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1996). The New York Times also has a style manual that it and a few other major papers use as their authority, but because much of the news used in English-language newspapers comes in on Associated Press (AP) ticker machines and most newspaper editors don’t want to go through the effort of restyling this, most newspapers just settle on using the AP style to begin with. Useful General Grammar, Style, and Word Usage Aids The American Heritage Book of English Usage: A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996). The clearest and most up-to-date-explanations often can be found here. Theodore M. Bernstein, The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage (Atheneum, 1965). This is usually very helpful and has clear explanations. David Daniels and Barbara Daniels, HarperCollins College Outline: English Grammar (HarperCollins, 1991). Useful when you need the "Jack and Jill" version of an explanation on grammar use. Harriet Diamond and Phyllis Dutwin. Grammar in Plain English: Third Edition (Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 1996). This is an excellent resource for writers who need to brush up on their grammar. It contains twenty-one lessons to build and reinforce grammar skills. It’s also recommended for adults preparing to take their GED, for college remedial English students, and advanced ESL students. Eugene Ehrlich, Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Punctuation, Capitalization, and Spelling, second edition (McGraw Hill, 1987). Useful when you are so confused that you need not only an explanation but also several examples of usage. Joanne Feierman, Action Grammar (Simon & Shuster, 1995). This is an excellent paperback grammar book that’s very easy to use with, "everyday usage and punctuation" as well as quizzes and tutorials. H. W. Fowler, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, second edition (Oxford University Press, 1996). This is considered by many as the ultimate authority on grammar and style, but it sometimes seems so taken with its own elegant language that it’s hard to determine just what guidance it’s giving. There’s a newer edition out than this, but most of the Fowler material has disappeared from this edition, and it hasn’t received good reviews. Karen Elizabeth Gordon, The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed (Times Books, 1984). This is specifically for those who will only check their grammar if they are entertained in the process. Thomas S. Kane, The New Oxford Guide to Writing (Oxford University Press, 1998). This is a standard for British usage. The New York Public Library Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage (HarperCollins, 1994). This is often a good resource for a second opinion. Theodore A. Rees Cheney, Getting the Words Right (Writer’s Digest Books, 1995). Harry Shaw, Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions (McGraw Hill, 1987). A very useful resource doing exactly what its title says it does, but it now is hard to find. Sol Stein, Stein on Writing (Griffin Trade Paperback, 2000). Perhaps the most-recommended writing guidance book on writing-focused Internet discussion boards. Ann Stilman, Grammatically Correct (Writer’s Digest Books, 1997). This book delves into punctuation, spelling, structure, style, usage, and grammar. Going beyond the mechanics, it teaches the reader to write well. William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (Allen and Bacon, 2000). This is a college student’s standby that is quite useful for the basics, but book publishing does not follow all of its suggestions. William Zinsser, On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, fifth edition (HarperCollins, 1994). Packed with helpful guidance and engagingly written. Where to Find It For quotes, consult John Bartlett and Justin Kaplan’s Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 16th edition (Little, Brown and Company, 1996). Of course, many quotation databases, including Bartlett’s, can also be found on the Internet. http://www.bartleby.com/100/ carries the 10th (1919) edition of Bartlett’s. A selection of searchable quotation databases is provided at http://www.libraryspot.com. For general in-print help in tracking down information, try Sherwood Harris’s The New York Public Library Book of How and Where to Look It Up (Prentice Hall, 1991). For help in rendering trademarked names correctly, you can find the updated list of proper trademarked names renderings from the International Trademark Association at http://www.inta.org/tmcklst1.htm. For what day of the week dates fell on in past years, go to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/easter.html. Writing Aids: Print Lawrence Block, Writing the Novel from Plot to Print (Writer’s Digest Books, 1979). Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction (Pearson Longman, 6th edition, 2002) Orson Scott Card, Characters & Viewpoint (Writer’s Digest Books) Ansen Dibell, Plot (Writer’s Digest Books, 1999) Phillip Gerard, Writing a Book that Makes a Difference (Story Press, 2000). This author presents strategies for the creative nonfiction writer. He delves into characterization, point of view, voice and style, and all elements of storytelling, where he explores both fiction and nonfiction. Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones (Shambhala, 1986) Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference: Fourth Edition (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001). This is a tabulated reference book covering not only writing style but much more. It’s easy to use because of its tabulated menu. Handbook of Short Story Writing, preface by Joyce Carol Oates, (Writer’s Digest Books, 1986). Multiple authors contributed to this handbook. Every possible element of short story writing is covered from plot to character development. Jerome Judson, The Poet’s Handbook (Writer’s Digest Books, 1980). This book is an excellent source for the writer delving into poetry. Mr. Judson gives instruction in the mechanics and art of writing poetry. Many questions are answered that are most often asked by beginning poets. Stephen King, On Writing (Pocket Books, 2002). One of the most popular background books on writing among aspiring authors. Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (Anchor, 1995). Someone who had to work hard to get published wrote this humorous, helpful book. Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees (Riverhead Books, 2001) Noah Lukeman, The Plot Thickens (St. Martin’s, 2003) Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel (Writer’s Digest Books, 2003) Robert McKee, Story (Regan Books, 1997) Jeff Mock, You Can Write Poetry (Writer’s Digest Books, 1998). This book offers dozens of sample poems along with exercises. Also included is a market list for submissions. Richard Rhodes, How to Write (Quill, 1996) Sol Stein, How to Grow a Novel (St. Martin’s Press, 2002) Sol Stein, Stein on Writing (Griffin Trade, 2000) Dwight Swain, Techniques of the Selling Writer (University of Oklahoma Press, 1982) David Trotter, The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Silman James, 1998). Aspiring screenwriter’s will love this book. It has it all. Joseph P. Williams, Style (University of Chicago Press, 1995) Albert Zuckerman, Writing the Blockbuster Novel (Writers Digest Books, 2002) Writing Aids: Internet Links Absolute Write http://www.absolutewrite.com This site contains articles and interviews from professional writers and writers connected to screen writing, novels, and nonfiction. The Alliance for Computers and Writing http://english.ttu.edu/acw/operations/category.html#centers A massive directory is listed here offering learning resources, journals, essay, and groups of all kinds. It also lists university writing centers from around the country. Children’s Writing Resource Central http://www.write4kids.com This is a great resource site for anyone with a desire to write books for children. It contains a free library of how-to information, step-by-step help, and a message board, where aspiring children’s authors can gather. Christian Periodical Publishers http://www.colc.com/Publish.htm Boasts an alphabetical list of book publishers as well as religion editors at secular newspapers. It also includes a periodical publishers index. Common Errors in English http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/ This site is an excellent teaching aid for writers by a university English professor. It contains a large list of common errors committed by writers. The Stephen Coonts Web site http://www.coonts.com For writing tips from a best-selling adventure author, go to this site, click on "More" and then on "Writing Tips." Creative Writing For Teens http://teenwriting.about.com/ This site is an excellent source for the aspiring young writer. It offers a multitude of instructional materials covering every phase of creative writing. Older writers could benefit from this site as well. Gotham Writer’s Workshop http://www.writingclasses.com Online classes are offered. It makes available a syllabus, student forums, and many other things, including sample assignments. A sample class is offered as well. Grammar Handbook http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_resources/grammar_handbook/grammar_handbook.htm The Grammar Handbook was compiled from a grammar workshop. Everything about basic grammar is addressed. Guide to Grammar and Writing http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ This site was established by now-deceased English professor Charles Darling. It’s basic discussions of grammar continue to be maintained on the site, although his very useful "Ask Grammar" feature no longer exists. "How Much Should I Charge," by Lynn Wasnak http://www.writersmarket.com/content/howmuch3.asp This and subsequent pages provided by Writer’s Digest provide ranges to charge for all sorts of jobs related to publishing. Inspired Writing Workshops and Writing Services http://inspired2write.com/?hop=castine.write2earn Excellent workshops are offered in creative writing, creativity, grammar, and so forth. They also offer a range of professional writing-related services, including coaching, freelance writing, editing, and German-English translation. Lighthouse Writers Workshop http://www.lighthousewriters.com/ This is an independent creative writing school that instructs in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and screenplay writing. Jack Lynch’s Guide to Grammar and Style http://newark.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/ A very useful explanation of grammar and style on the Rutgers University Web site. The Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ This site offers much more than book reviews. It has a large and outstanding directory of writer resources as well. Online-Library.org http://online-library.seeq.com/seeq/int_index.jsp?portal_id=256&domain=online-library.org&referrer= The online library is a collection of resources compiled and edited by the members of Writer’s Village University and A Novel Approach. It contains The Help Files, Reference Center, Research Files, Tips and Tricks, and much more. The Phrase Finder http://www.phrases.org.uk/ Everything about the origin and meaning of phrases can be found here. The site contains a thesaurus database search, meaning and origins of over a thousand alphabetically listed phrases, and a discussion forum, where you can find out the meaning or origin of a phrase or saying from people who know. Press Release Writing Tips http://www.press-release-writing.com/ This site offers formatting suggestions, a PR template, Past News, Letters, Writer’s Resources, and a list of PR-related books as well as a newsletter. Reference Desk http://www.refdesk.com/facts.html Gateway to a large collection of reference links, including encyclopedias, libraries, dictionaries, and thesauri and information on genealogy, government, law, postal codes, time zones, history, and so forth. Robin’s Nest for writers and Web Surfers http://www.robinsnest.com Professional freelancer, Robin Nobles, has compiled an outstanding list of articles for freelancers as well as useful link URLs for writers. Science Fiction Novel Workshop http://www.crayne.com/writetop.html This workshop is a great place for the hard science fiction writer to hone his or her craft. It offers critiques and encouragement to writers of science fiction. Speechtips.com http://www.speechsuccess.com Here is an informative site offering the fundamentals of successful speechwriting, including structure, strong opening, purposeful body, and memorable conclusion. Suite101.com Freelance Writing http://www.suite101.com/readingcenter/ This site contains useful resources for the freelance writer. It is a community with a forum, bulletins, articles, discussions, polls, and much more. Tips, Tools & Ideas to Improve Your Writing http://198.170.246.218/tips/ A nominal $1.50 lifetime fee is required to access this source. The Writer’s BBS http://www.writersbbs.com/ This site contains many writer’s and critique forums, chat rooms, links to writing sites, articles, and more. Write101.com—All About Writing http://www.write101.com/ A great site for the beginning writer, this site offers a free online writing course, home study tutorials, writing services, reference center, and much more. Writer’s Digest http://www.writersdigest.com Outstanding site that features writing workshops, conferences, contests, guidelines, and many other resources to help all levels of writers to achieve success. Writers List http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/writers.html To establish individual skill levels, a writing sample must be submitted. This is an excellent source to establish your skill level and receive critiques on your work. Submission guidelines are available at the site. WritersNet http://www.writers.net A site where aspiring and experienced writers gather to discuss writing, publishing, and marketing issues. Writers Write/ Screenwriting http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/ This is a great site offering sources for screenwriters. It has a resource list on the craft, links to producers, screenwriting links, a message board, news and much more for the aspiring screenwriter. Writer’s Web http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html This site offers a live chat, message board, writer’s workshop, poetry, short stories, and a searchable database of guidelines for writers, and writing for children. Writer’s Resource Directory http://www.carolkluz.homestead.com/index1.html This site has a resource directory listing helpful sites in every phase of writing. Writer’s Weekly.com http://www.writersmarket.com/index_ns.asp Here is an excellent site with classes, a "Fun Stuff" section, specialized markets, a "For Writers and Authors," online publishers, writing careers, and reference books. Writing World http://www.writing-world.com/ This site offers online or in New York City creative writing classes. It includes all types of writing from fiction to stand-up comedy and everything in between. These are 10-week courses. Also offered are one-day classes, private instruction, and classes for teens.