A Designer’s Resolve: Resources
Resources for this designer’s resolve
Below is everything from the Learn to Write series and a bit more. I’ve collected online writer’s blogs, dictionaries, thesauruses, style guides, writing courses and workshops.
There are sites and individual articles covering grammar usage, finding your voice, sentence structure, rhetoric, punctuation and proofreading.
There’s also a list of writing books, software, and courses on CD’s to acquire.
Note: I haven’t bothered to separate the skill levels. Some are very basic, some intermediate, some advanced. Hopefully something for everyone.
Writing Books: Books I own personally, bought for when the time comes, and culled from a larger collection.
Blogs: Writing, Grammar, Copywriting: Blogs I’ve collected over the past several years, with a few added during the series.
Online Writing Guidelines: Websites with extensive information to help writers and students of writing.
Online Writing Tips: Individual Articles: Articles focusing on writing issues.
Online Dictionaries: There are more dictionaries here than any one person will use.
Online Writing Courses: A small list of what’s on offer.
Writing Books
In 2002 I started collecting writing books. The majority of the list is over here. Below are ones I’ve pared down for the beginning stages of learning how to write. In the full list are other books just as suitable, but I needed a smaller, more manageable collection.
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost
1000 Most Important Words by Norman W. Schur
Collins Good Writing Guide by Graham King
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook
On Writing Well by William K. Zinsser
New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors by R. M. Ritter (adapter)
New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors: The essential A-Z guide to the written word by R. M. Ritter (Editor), Angus Stevenson (Editor), Lesley Brown (Editor)
Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker
Developmental Exercises to Accompany Rules For Writers by Diana Hacker and Wanda Van Goor
Spunk & Bite: A writer’s guide to punchier, more engaging language & style by Author Plotnik
The Careful Writer by Theodore M. Bernstein
The Elements of Style by William I. Strunk
The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing by Thomas S. Kane
Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method by Gerald M. Weinberg
Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner
Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing by Patricia O’Conner
Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark
101 Elegant Paragraphs, A Vocabula 101 Series Handbook, by Robert Hartwell Fiske
Derek Powazek ALA: “Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!”
Blogs: Writing, Grammar, Copywriting
Some of these are in my bloglines, some in my netvibes, some I’ve saved to share. The conversation ranges from writing, grammar and / or copywriting.
If you don’t find your favourites please add them in the comments. If I’ve forgotten you and we’ve chatted, apologies, let me know.
News Observor | Triangle Grammar Guide
separated by a common language
You Don’t Say: Language and Usage
Change This: Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!
Online Writing Guidelines
Below are websites on grammar, language usage, style guides, cliches, writing guides, punctuation, writing tips and suggestions. They are split into three loose groups – writing guides and tips, style guides, grammar and punctuation, and a catch all, msc.
Writing Guides and Tips
A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices
OWL Handouts: Complete Index by Topic
Plain Language: Howto/Tools Guidelines
Plain Language: Howto/Tools Word suggestions
Plain Language: Howto/Tools Quick reference tips
Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric
Strunk, William, Jr. 1918. The Elements of Style
SUNY Geneseo Online Writing Guide
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
Sentence Sense: A Writer’s Guide, an online textbook in basic writing
U of Calgary: Basic Elements Of English
uw-madison writing center writer’s handbook
Write Away – Learn how to become a better writer
Writers’ Workshop Writing Tips
Writing resources from Study Guides and Strategies
Style Guides
Chicago Manual of Style Online
Times Online Style and Usage Guide
U of WA: Citation & Writing Guides
Grammar and Punctuation
Ain’t Grammar Fun: Words to the Wise
Clear English Grammar Resources
Doc Durden’s Guide to Good Grammar
Grammar Book: Grammer Rules, Punctuation and Capitalization, Rules for Writing Numbers
Jack Hart: Prevent punctuation and grammar errors that hurt credibility
Lynch, Guide to Grammar and Style
Spark Notes: Online guide to grammar
The Blue Book of Grammar & Punctuation
Writers’ Workshop: Grammar Handbook
Msc
Erin Kissane ALA: Attack of the Zombie Copy
Online Writing Tips: Individual Articles
Articles with advice on grammar, language usage, proofreading, general writing, copywriting and voice.
40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation
Adding Action and Clarity to Writing
Copyblogger: Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well
Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List
Geek to Live: Write effectively for the Web
How to Make Sentences Clear and Concise
How To Proofread Your Own Writing
Plain Language Humor: How to Write Good
Power Of The Written Word (Part I ) – Need of Expression
Power Of The Written Word (Part II) – Constructing A Sentence That Produces Impact
Power of The Written Word (Part III) – Developing Your Own Writing Style
Power of Written Word (Part IV): Writing for Internet
Proofreading your own document
Stephen King : Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully – in Ten Minutes
Study Guides 1: Writing basics Research, etc.
Study Guides 4: Revising/editing
Successful Blog: Sentence Fluency
Successful Blog: A Writers Voice
Successful Blog: Your Authentic Writing Voice
Successful Blog: How to Make Your Writing Unforgettable, Using the Music of the Gettysburg Address
To write effectively, go with the flow of ideas
Writerisms and other Sins: A Writer’s Shortcut to Stronger Writing
Writing, Clear and Simple: Entries in Punctuation
Writing, Clear and Simple: Keep it simple: Word choice
Writing, Clear and Simple: One vital bit of writing
Writing, Clear and Simple: Passive-aggressive, Part 1
Writing, Clear and Simple: Passive-aggressive Part 2
Writing, Clear and Simple: Redundancies: Does it bear repeating?
Writing, Clear and Simple: Square pegs into round holes, or, Turning verbs into nouns
Writing, Clear and Simple: Watch out for sound-alike words
Writing in a compelling way is all up to you
Writing that works: Writing Techniques
Writing that works: Styles and Usage
Notable Words: These folks can write
Online Dictionaries
Some of these online Dictionaries are serious, some fun, some do more than others.
After the dictionaries are a few words of the day, ending with podcasts.
Latin Dictionary and Grammar Aid
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus
MSN Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework
Ninjawords – a fast online dictionary
Onelook.com: Reverse Dictionary
RhymeZone rhyming dictionary and thesaurus
The Writers Portal: Word Power
And the extras …
Word of the day:
Word of the day (email): Cambridge
Word of the day (email): Dictionary.com
Word of the day (email): Merriam-Webster Online
Word of the day (email): New York Times
Word of the day (email): Onelook.com
Word of the day (email): Oxford English Dictionary
Word of the day (email): Wordcraft
Word of the day (email): Wordsmith.org
Word of the day (email): yourDictionary.com
Word of the day (for your site): brainydictionary.com
An additional extra to the extras …
Newswriting.com: A Resource For Journalists: Groaners
VIEW: Variation in English Words and Phrases
Podcasts
HOWmag: Designers of the World, Write
Online Writing Courses
Some of the courses below are free, some with a nominal charge, some require a financial commitment. Some courses are short, others will take a week, most require a time commitment (some considerable).
A Free Course in Technical and Business Writing
Breaking into Print Writing Course
Diana Hacker – Rules for Writers companion website
E-WRITE – Writing For Online Readers
Grammar Tutorials, University of Calgary
How to Write: Freelance Writing Courses and Reports (Copywriting)
One of Us; Creative Writing Workshop
‘Round Table’ Creative Writing Group
Tameri Guide for Writers: The Workshop
The Internet Grammar of English
UCLA Extension – Lifelong Learning
Write 101: Know how to write well, 5 free writing lessons
Write 101: Online Writing Course
Writer OnLine – Learning Center – Courses
Writers Online Workshops: Business writing
Writers.com: Basic Writing Skills
Writing Classes: Gotham Writers’ Workshop
Writing Courses (CD)
The Electronic Writing Course
(Goes with StyleWriter)
Boris Kortiak: Why Write?
This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap.
Three pages were created from the series – A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list and this one.
regards,
Catherine (cat) Wentworth
Designers Who Blog
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