RESOURCES

This one-of-a-kind grammar book is a jewel. The original edition was published sometime in the early 1900s. I kept the 2005 edition, wonderfully illustrated by Maira Kalman, on my night table for years. Whimsical illustrations kept me engaged when I was about to give up and shut the book on either the Elementary Rules of Usage, Principles of Composition, Form, or Approach to Style. However, Words and Expressions Misused, and Words Often Misspelled, were more engaging, not to mention punctuation pointers.

I bet many writers own this book that reminds us that, like running, the more we write, the better we get at it. More than that, the book encourages us to break the rules. I often follow the advice to deconstruct a sentence when it doesn't read right, so I can reconstruct it in a better way, one that wasn’t obvious at first. A Zen master, Goldberg believes in the power of simplicity, of subtraction in writing.

I worked on this book after my Freelance and Feature Writing course with the London School of Journalism. If writing interests you and you don’t know how to begin, this is the book for you. From journaling about the simplest of things, you will learn the basics of memoir writing and develop your skills.

As a memoirist, the author shows the ropes of nonfiction while sharing the story of her happy marriage. It’s personal, of course, but it doesn’t let you forget that this is a tutorial book, each chapter giving you a guided assignment to help you stay on track with memoir writing.

An irreverent blackbelt memoirist is good imagery for the author. After all, she is referred to as "the greatest memoirist of all times." She tells it like it is. The language is raw and to the point. It took me aback at first. She shows that writing a compelling memoir demands an unbridled mind. And, she demonstrates the efficacy—and science—of swearwords in a narrative.

First published in 1990, this book is more engaging than ever because it's a guide for the feminine healing process. It’s both a self-help book and a writing tutorial. By shedding light on the dark personal, cultural, and spiritual nook and crannies of the feminine psyche, it’s a book for every memoirist.

This book is about writing from your dreams. It’s an introduction to psychotherapy through the author’s years of analysis and how your true self as a writer lives in your psyche.

This book goes deeper into Jungian philosophy. Excerpts from inspiring authors help us understand how to search for our center—the depth of our psyche—from darkness to light, so we can bare our writing.

This book is evidence that writing a memoir is a work of introspection and that memory can be subjective, “it’s the meaning we make of our lives.” Sometimes, a taste or a scent, or perhaps a sound becomes the spark that ignites the recall of the past. Recalling and writing should continue until we feel in harmony with what we honestly shared—the story and the emotions.

I once had an English professor who had a Ph.D. in punctuation. I was impressed. The author manages to give context and life to commas, dashes, and other semicolons through a memoir. It's not an easy read, but there is still much to gain from it.

Anthologies are collections of styles, and an enjoyable way to hone craft and voice.

The story in a book is like the story in a film. The beginning must develop logically to the end, each scene and dialogue advancing the narrative. Rule number one to write a script: know your logline and stick to it. In fiction and nonfiction, keep your subtitle in mind. This book isn’t only informative, it’s entertaining too.

The author shows it's important to write down facts, emotions, and other anecdotes. They can indeed come together as a story.  I don't always know which it will be right away, but a story will eventually reveal itself from the notes I took while traveling.

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Baking is a catastrophe waiting to happen, Anna Olson explains. Good writing is essential to help prevent it from happening. If you always wanted to write a cookbook, learn from the best. Other than adding a specific vocabulary to my repertoire, I have been inspired by the presentation.
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