Tipsy Tuesday

Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

An understanding of word usage, grammar and style is a necessary part of every writer's toolkit. I've said it before--especially in today's economy, with publishers looking for reasons not to publish books, a writer needs every advantage possible over his/her competition (i.e., other writers). Learn the mechanics of writing, and learn them well so that your word choices become almost unconscious, like breathing.

Here are some books to help:

The Elements of Style: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition by William Strunk and E.B. White
Woe Is It: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Connor
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
A Pocket Style Manual by Diane Hacker
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by H.W. Fowler
The Chicago Manual of Style, published by the University of Chicago Press


Are there any other books you'd recommend?