Your Writer's Library
If you want to improve your writing skills, you should acquire
the following books (or ones that are similar in content and quality):
1. A good, big, fairly new dictionary: you'll
find it an invaluable help;
2. A copy of Strunk and White's Elements of Style: this little
classic is a must-read for those who seek to write clearly;
3. A good grammar textbook: if you're on a tight budget, you can probably
find a good one at the nearest used book store;
4. The Chicago Manual of Style: This 900-page tome is
optional for ELP publishers; it's for those who are very serious
about the ins and outs of editing, proofreading, and publishing.
5. The Synonym Finder: your word-processing software contains a
thesaurus (don't overuse it); The Synonym Finder, published by Rodale
Press, goes where no thesaurus has gone before; consider adding it to your
library.
And once you have some or all of the above-mentioned books
. . .
Begin by reading the Strunk and White text first. It's brief,
informative, and highly readable. Then, read the grammar textbook from cover to
cover by digesting a few pages each day (it's okay to skip over the parts that
you already know thoroughly); finally, use the dictionary, the Chicago
Manual of Style, and The Synonym Finder as reference tools.
