This seminar discusses how prose is used in fiction.
For information about writing prose in general, I
recommend the old reliable Elements of Style by
Strunk and White. My favorite guides to grammar and
punctuation are The Transitive Vampire and The
Well-Tempered Sentence, both by Karen
Elizabeth Gordon. You might also look at style
guides—the one I consult most often is from the
Canadian
Press, but there are also good ones from many other
newspapers in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. (I prefer
newspaper style guides rather than academic guides like
The Chicago Manual of Style...but hey, check
out a bunch of guides and see which you like yourself.)
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When you're choosing reference books, I recommend that you
go to the library before you go to the
bookstore. Take out a variety of books, put them on your
writing desk or your bedside table, and see
which ones you actually use in the next two or three weeks.
Once you know what works for you, then
you can buy your own copy. Remember that having a book doesn't do you any good if you never open it. The best dictionary, for example, is whichever one you'll actually use. Those big honking dictionaries that weigh fifty pounds may look impressive, but if they're so heavy you leave them on the coffee table instead of your writing desk, they're a waste of money. |
Copyright © 2001, James Alan Gardner