The Most Important Advice on Writing You Will Get From Me (today)
Learning to write well is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Not everyone has to have a college degree in composition in order to write well. And as most of us are seeing, writing well is important for both our success at the Center as well as in life.
Perfection in writing is difficult, if not impossible. Much of the English language is subjective; however, there are a few rules we should always follow. Here’s a guide to help you along the way.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White is one of the most important books you can ever buy. Or, read online: http://www.bartleby.com/141/
I live by this book. One reason: it’s less than 100 pages long, has 6 well-placed chapters, and is easy to use. When we often think of guidebooks and manuals, we tend to think of hardback textbook size publications. This book bears no physical resemblance to a textbook: it is unimposing and petite—yet, it packs a significant amount of guidance into the narrow space between its covers. It’s only about as big as my checkbook.
I can't stress this enough.
I am not trying to sell this book. I am, however, trying to sell you on the concept that knowledge lives in many places, including small, unseemingly powerful English language style guides. Turn over even the smallest of stones; you will find great rewards.
Put this one in your pocket. Or bookmark the page. Your decision (the second one is free; the first is almost free at around $5).
Now, realize, this won’t help you format a paper into APA style (which I promise I won’t badmouth in this blog), but it will help you with the basics: how to use possessives, when to start a new paragraph, how to cut out the fluff.
And, if you go with the online version, or even just check out the website, please note that this book lives for free on the www.bartleby.com website, which is one of the best one-stop shopping websites for reference material. Everything from the American Heritage Dictionary, Roget’s Thesaurus, Bartlett’s Quotations, and the official Oxford Shakespeare (as if you have any time for that), all are accessible for free.
One plug into the American Heritage, and you’ll stop going to Dictionary.com, I promise you.
Keep writing. The only way to get better is to practice. And then you have to practice some more. And, along the way, if you need some help, go with the Strunk and White.