Good Writing: Hints and Highlights

"What does it really take to become a good writer?" Every beginner attempting to embark on a new career wonders what the road ahead will be like and whether he's equipped for the journey.

The recommendations and suggestions offered here relate to two types of equipment: tools, which luckily for us are available online and for free, and personal disposition attributes, some of which can be learned and acquired over time.

1. Tools of the Trade

This category includes dictionaries and thesauri, style guides and manuals, rules of grammar and punctuation, etc.

The following list of tips is from my personal reservoir of Favorites.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Merriam-Webster Online

• The Gold Standard: Type in your word and decide on he spot whether you need the dictionary or thesaurus.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ Cambridge Dictionaries Online

• Includes examples of usage.
• Mentions differences between British and American usages and spellings.

http://dictionary.reference.com/ Dictionary.com

• Advantage: Each entry lists definitions from several dictionaries.
• Includes tabs for Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Reference and Web.
• Excellent resource for finding a substitute for a phrasal verb, for example: to get a hold of = to obtain (another tip for "elevating" your style).

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/index.html

• Unique: Has a section "Other Dictionaries", which includes grammar guides.

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/effWrite.asp The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.

• Free access to some of the sections.
• Good review of and easy access to punctuation issues.
• Page on "effective writing" provides an introduction to the ground rules that will help improve your skills.
• Also has a page with quick reference explaining those confusing pairs: that vs. which; then vs. than; etc.
• Nice layout.

http://www.litencyc.com/stylebook/stylebook.php The Literary Encyclopedia

• The Table of Contents alone tells you everything you need to know to write well.
• Worth browsing just to distinguish your strengths from your weaknesses.
• Click on the asterisk to open the link.

http://www.writersblock.ca/tips/index.htm The Web Resource for Communication Professionals

• Great tips.
• Important issues in writing style.

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Resources

• Citation styles all on one page .

http://www.effingpot.com/index.shtml The American's guide to speaking British

• Can save your reputation!

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors Common Errors in English.

• An exhaustive alphabetized list for easy reference.

Let's begin by looking at excellent resources for writers available right here on our friendly and familiar HUBPAGES.

http://www.idiomsite.com/ Use idioms to give flare and flavor to your writing.

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/style.html Dr. Wheeler's Website for college students is a useful resource. For a taste, take a look at "What is Style?".

http://www.bartleby.com/ There's so much you can do here: just start fiddling and you'll find your own favorite uses.

http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_become_a_freelance_writer

http://hubpages.com/hub/Get_Paid_To_Write

http://hubpages.com/hub/Writing_for_Income

And my personal contribution to the category of good advice --a skill that I believe is essential for becoming a good writer-- is: consider your audience. It is explained in detailed perfection here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/audmod/.

• A passion for writing. Develop the desire to weigh words carefully, play with them, look for alternatives, and enjoy the crafting of your message.
• Write about your passions. The best motivation for getting your message through clearly and skillfully is to really care about it.
• Tenacity. It helps to quip yourself with a long-shot view of your mission and decide on several goals that will mark your progress. Remember: it is a long path.
• Self-discipline. No matter how much you love writing, there will come a moment when you'd rather do (almost) anything else. DON'T! This is your investment time, don't cheat yourself out of it.