The basic tools of a writer.

I have discovered there are some things in life that are going to happen and you really don’t have to do anything, like getting older. You are going to get older no matter what you think you are doing to stop it.

If you get in your car and don’t turn the key, it will not start and you won’t be able to go anywhere. On the other hand, if you don’t put gas in it, you’re got the same problem. Both of these are tools to get you where you want to go, and so are resources for writers.

When I was hit by the writing bug some years ago I only had a dictionary. Pretty basic. It took awhile to realize I needed other tools. One of those tools was a Thesaurus. There are moments when you say the same words over and over and don’t realize it. The Thesaurus helps to improve your text, or diversify your word usage.

Grammar was another challenge, trying to remember where to put what. I went looking for a quick reference guide. I didn’t want to have to read page after page to know if I was putting a comma or semi-colon, etc., in the right place. So I added to my library: The Elements of Grammar, by Margaret Shertzer. . . .(click here to finish reading)