The reference materials listed below are by no means inclusive, but rather are part of my personal library and have proved helpful over the years.
–the essentials of English:
Chicago Manual of Style, theUniversity ofChicago Press
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
Style Check based on The American Heritage Dictionary
Words into Type by Marjorie Skillin and Robert Gay
The Write Source by Patrick Sebranek and Dave Kemper
—on writing:
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
Bird by Bird by Ann LaMott
Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Creative Writing by Lavonne Mueller and Jerry D. Reynolds
One Great Way to Write Short Stories by Ben Nyberg
On Writing Well, 5th edition by William Zinsser
Writing Dramatic Nonfiction by William Noble
Writing down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
The Writing Life by Anne Dillard
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
Writer’s Market (updated annually) CD-Rom edition available
Filled with useful information, markets, and contests for writers Web: www.writersmarket.com; www.writersdigest.com
In addition to the sources listed, many community libraries and local writers groups and associations sponsor writing contests, offer writing classes and conduct critique sessions. Consult the Yellow Pages or check with the public library for more information.
SMART IDEA: request editorial needs or submission guidelines for contests or publications before submitting any piece of writing.
(My book journey)…was one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. I had this dream, this vision, and I was so excited about it, but I had to remind myself every once in a while that not everyone else understood my passion.
—Russell Helwig
One comment
Comment by Admin on March 11, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Thanks for all your kind words and encouraging comments. Accept this as a personal thank you. I am now in the process of compiling the ten articles into an eBook titled: Excuse my Dust: Ten Quick Steps for Writing Success. It will be available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Smashwords.com. I hope you will check it out. Then I will have a weekly blog on writing, including writing prompts. So far I’m planning to call the blog Coffee Chat… we will be able to communicate more on a weekly basis. Hope to hear from all of you soon, and keep writing. –eileenbirin–