What writing resource books do you have on your book shelves?

[Lena]

I've read a lot of them, but my favorite by FAR has been Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Brown. I'm tempted to send it to a few well-known popular authors. But I've politely refrained.

I've also read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life and On Writing, which were both fun reads as well as instructional.

On my to-read list: The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics, and Exercises

[Baxter]

I like your first entry, Lena. Think I'll have to get that. We moved a lot when I was a kid and somehow I completely missed out on basic grammar instruction! I use the online Strunk and White but don't always understand it. Love Dictionary/Thesaurus.com

Bird by Bird and On Writing are my two favorites. And Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing.

Baxter Clare Trautman, The River Within
Web site: http://baxterclare.com
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

[Roger]

I've got a terrific book called Guide to better English by Bloomsbury. It has in depth descriptions of words and phrases and their etymology. I bought it in 84. I don't know if it's still in print but it's a must.
Here's the ISBN in case anyone's interested. 0-7475-1646-4

[Mhairi]

I would like to get On Writing. Currently the only writing reference book I have is Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. Excellent. The ISBN is: 978-1-58297-998-4

[C.S. Splitter]

A thesaurus. (What is another word for thesaurus?)

Other than that, the internet is my friend. There are a few blogs about writing that I like and Jim Butcher's Live Journal is pretty close to the top.

Since I write modern day fiction, I find myself having to research certain things to not get criticized by experts on a given subject. How do bullets react to glass? What are the effects of certain drugs? What are the technical limitations of RADAR?

Lots of time in research and nothing is better than the internet for that if you can trust the source.

Splitter

[Mhairi]

That's the thing, isn' it? Trusting the source. There's so much on the internet and a lot of it contradicts the other lot of it. Sigh.

[Roger]

How about lexicon. Or even onomasticon. You always have to get someone who think she's smart.

[Michael]

I've never read any books on writing - not sure if I should admit that or not - but that's the fact.