What's your "Writer's Bible"?

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Sarah81
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What's your "Writer's Bible"?

Post by Sarah81 »

I only think I'm perfect where grammar, spelling, punctuation, et cetera are concerned. In reality, though, I have problems. I still can't remember how to spell "niece," for example. I've only written it about, oh, eighteen zillion times in my life, but the spell check gives my version the red-line treatment every time.

But, hey, every writer has at least one problem.

So: what's your "Writer's Bible"? What reference book (or books) do you use the most often? If you were asked to recommend something to a new(er) writer, what would you suggest?

Here's my list.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition). It's big and bulky, just like a dictionary should be. Yeah, yeah. I can accomplish the same thing at dictionary.com, but I like having the actual book on hand. (Besides: when my Internet's down, I have to go with the book!)

Strunk & White's The Elements of Style (3rd edition). Yes, the 3rd edition is old and all, but it's my favorite. I dare say that, despite being a very small book, this is the best grammar reference guide out there.

Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary Of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar. Slightly sarcastic but extremely helpful.
Ed
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Post by Ed »

Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus. Out, damned redundancy!

Ed
Celeste Stewart
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Post by Celeste Stewart »

Noah Lukeman's A Dash of Style!
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