Paint With Words

Walking into the reference section of a bookstore, looking for books to help improve your writing can be a bit daunting. Trust me, I worked in a bookstore for a LONG time. The only reason I knew it like the back of my hand was because I had to. But I did spend quite a bit of time back there to satiate my own intrigue. The selection is wide, and if you don’t know what type of book you’re looking for, in general, then you’re basically stuck. And let’s face it, while the staff is SUPPOSED to have good product knowledge, some people just know other sections better than other people do. So I hope this helps you a little bit.

First, I would suggest “The Elements of Style” by E.B. White and Robert Strunk. It’s a very non-intimidating book, and it breaks down the most basic elements of English grammar and structure. It’s MAYBE 100 pages long (I don’t have my copy handy, but it’s relatively easy to find), and in recent years, it’s been updated, illustrated, and put into a nice fancy hardcover edition. It’s very clear and very concise, and you never feel dumb when you need to reference it

“The Spooky Art” by Norman Mailer is a good book if you want to hear about experiences from someone. Mailer talks about his own experiences while also referencing authors he admires, such as Tolstoy and Hemmingway. He even has a chapter dedicated to his experience as a journalist. If you’re an aspiring journalist and read his opinions on it, don’t let that detour you from  your dreams. Rather, tuck it back in your mind for future reference because, while his experiences left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, his points are still good things to remember. But his thoughts on writing fiction are good too. He talks about how his life experiences influenced his writing (mainly his book “The Naked and the Dead”), techniques and thought processes he used to create stories, and so on. It’s one half memoir, one half good advice.

Another book that, while I haven’t read it, I’ve always heard good things, is “On Writing” by Stephen King. One of my writing professors at school referenced and quoted this book frequently. It’s been on my ‘to read’ list for probably a little too long, but from the way my teacher talked about it, I imagine it’s just as good as “The Spooky Art.” Unfortunately, as I haven’t read it I don’t have much else to tell you other than I’ve always heard positive commentaries on it.

Now, if you’re more into ‘professional’ writing, there are other types of books you should check out. While the first 3–ESPECIALLY “The Elements Of Style”–have good ideas and advice, they don’t give you anything concrete. If you’re writing a research paper or an editorial, you need to know how to site your sources. Now, granted, it depends on the requirements of the assignment’s format. That is where the “MLA Handbook”,”The Brief New Century Handbook”, and the APA style manuals are handy. I forget the exact title of the APA stylebook, but if you ask any bookstore employee about that book, they should know exactly what you mean (around the beginning of the school year, so many people ask for it, you may as well drop it in the center of the store and have a huge neon sign over it to tell people where it is). Depending on what you’re writing for, there’s also the Chicago Style Manual, but that one is a little insane. Let’s be honest…when the APA and MLA books are all of, maybe one and a half to  two inches thick, the Chicago manual clocking in at about 4 or more inches thick is daunting. But there is the occasional assignment that requires it so you never know…

If you’re more for journalism and whatnot, you MUST own a copy of the Associated Press Stylebook. Don’t remember a state’s abbreviation, or the appropriate title for a politician/emissary/religious figure/royal figurehead, this book has it. It’s like a dictionary or thesaurus. Keep it on your desk. Your editors or professors (depending on what stage you’re at in life ) will appreciate it.

There’s also all the Writer’s Market books that are put out annually. And they’re always broken down: fiction, nonfiction, kids, magazine writers/journalism, etc. They tell you exactly who to go to for whatever you’re aspiring to do with your writing. They’re a little expensive considering they do a new one each year, but not a whole lot changes annually so if you buy one this year, and finish your story in 2010, you could probably still rely on the information in the book you purchased.

I hope this is a good help for all of you. Once again, this is just my personal advice based on what I’ve read or had recommended to me. There are HUNDREDS of wonderful books out there that serve as writing references, and I encourage you to look into as many as you find interesting. Until next time.

Auf Wiederesehen,
Erika

Trackback URI | Comments RSS