Continuing to Learn

It has been said that a person never stops learning, and this is so true about the craft of writing. Although I have been writing professionally for over 15 years, I continue to rely on literary magazines and books in order to remain current and improve my writing.

Currently, I am using The New Fowler's Modern English Usage book to develop a word of the day or words of the week. Trying to use different words and learning what these words mean will help give me an edge to my writing. Different than a Thesaurus, Fowler's gives you the orientation of the word and when it was first used. Sometimes the word will be used in a sentence.

Another book I love is You Don't Have to Be Famous: How To Write Your Life Story by Steve Zousmer. Because most of my writing is non-fiction essays, this book has been a great resource. Teaching me the who, what, when and whys of writing about your life will tighten up my work and make it more enjoyable to the reader.

In an attempt to get my freelance copy writing business off the ground, I have found The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman an invaluable resource. Making a living by writing can be a difficult business, but this book gives me hope that I can do it. Although I am writing a book, I need an added source of writing to supplement my income.

Lastly, I have been studying Words Overflown by Stars edited by David Jauss. This book is a creative writing instruction and insight book used by colleges for a Fine Arts M.F.A. The study in this book is going a little slower because it is a more difficult book, but I like the feeling of working on a college level again.

You're never too late to learn. Pick up a book today on your favorite subject and start studying - you never know when the information will come in handy.
Words Overflown By Stars: Creative Writing Instruction And Insight From The Vermont College Mfa Program