Reviews

Here is a selection of books and other products recommended by Writing Magazine.

• Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations

  

  First published in 1995, the Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations is now in its fifth edition and with a new editor in Gyles Brandreth. There is a huge influx of new quotations, many of them from very recent years, as well as new themes.

  06 January 2014

• Swearing Like A Trooper

  

  MJ Trow’s book sets the bad language of the war in its historical context (it is subtitled Rude Slang of the Second World War). Useful if you are interested in words and the way they were used in the front line.

  06 January 2014

• Oxford A-Z of English Usage

  

  Here we have the complete alphabetised guide to tricky questions of English usage, starting with the indefinite articles a and an (should you write ‘a unique feature’ or ‘an unique feature’?) and working through to the use of yourself (would it be correct to ask ‘is this book for yourself?’ or ‘is this book for you?’).

  06 January 2014

• Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation

  

  This grammar book is written in clear simple language and gives you a straightforward and easy to understand guide to the subject.  Starting with a brief explanation of the grammatical structure of sentences and paragraphs it includes an alphabetical listing of all the grammatical terms you are ever likely to need, showing the role they play in your writing.

  13 November 2013

• Writing Childrens Fiction

  

  Writing Childrens Fiction is a creative book, providing the print equivalent of attending a writing for children seminar.
  It discusses the challenges of each of the range of categories that comprise the children’s market with good practical advice for writing for them all.

  13 November 2013

• Bending Genre

  

  Bending Genre is a collection of essays on the art of creative non-fiction which is fact based writing that uses the techniques of fiction to bring its stories to life.

  13 November 2013

• The Lifestyle Writer

  

  What is lifestyle writing? In her new book, Sarah Beth Watkins describes it as writing that focuses on things that are important in our lives. This book shows you how to construct, write and market magazine articles, and even how to write a lifestyle book and see it published.

  13 September 2013

• Get Writing Childrens Fiction

  

  This book features a lot of helpful advice about finding your publisher, from writing your proposal and synopsis through to assessing your publishing options. If you want to be published as a children’s writer, or you are already published and want to see more of your work in print, this is the practical guide you need.

  13 September 2013

• Plain English

  

  Martin Cutts founded the Plain English Campaign over thirty years ago, and this fourth edition published by Oxford University Press, is one that every writer should study. It comprises twenty-five practical guidelines to help you improve your vocabulary, style, grammar and layout. In the process, it also helps with good writing style for emails and web material.

  13 September 2013

• The Writers Internet

  

  The internet is a major market for all kinds of writing, from business writing to full-length fiction; whatever your genre, you will find a wide, and profitable, range of market opportunities. The writing skills needed to write for internet markets also differ from those in print. Sarah-Beth Watkins defines internet skills, which is more a refinement on print writing styles than a difference, but it is vital to get it right.

  08 June 2013

• Telling Lifes Tales

  

  Who are you?  That’s a very good question if you want to write your life story, which may well simply be a historical record of the events that occurred in your life, from birth onwards.. But it can be an even more interesting book if it goes one step further, and becomes a story about your life that involves its readers in the events, characters and problems of its time

  08 June 2013

• The Country Writers Craft

  

  Finding new creative opportunities for new markets, and turning them into saleable ideas, are driving themes throughout the book which therefore becomes a combined how-to reference tool and market guide for country writers.

  08 June 2013