Writing is my most time-consuming hobby and I have found that this book is a great introduction to the basic skills involved in writing. Whether you are a professional or a beginner, it's helpful to have this guide to establish a basic foundation for writing effectively. It is also a great reference tool in case you happen to forget one of the basic techniques.

Oxford lays a solid foundation for writing with style

Whatever your experience or expertise as a writer, you can always benefit from new techniques for fleshing out ideas, developing technique or revising work, not to mention brushing up on the rules of punctuation, grammar and style.

All of this and more is covered in tremendous detail in The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing.

Author Thomas Kane, who also penned other guides for Oxford, explains the premise for this guide:

"Obviously, there are limits: one cannot learn to write like Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. You can't become a genius by reading a book.

"But you don't have to be a genius to write clear, effective English. You just have to understand what writing involves and to know how to handle words and sentences and paragraphs. That you can learn. If you do, you can communicate what you want to communicate in words other people can understand. This book will help by showing you what good writers do."

The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing is divided into several parts which address a variety of issues. These include:

* The Writing Process
* The Essay
* The Expository Paragraph
* The Sentence
* Diction
* Description And Narration
* Punctuation

Many shy away from writing guides, such as this. They believe it's hard work to read and even harder work to apply. Not so with The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. It is written in an authoritative but disarming manner, scattered with poignant quotes from some of the masters of the craft, which make it accessible to scribes of all levels.

It explains in simple layperson's terms the processes and mechanics of writing. The chapters also feature practical exercises for workshopping ~ an excellent way to understand and apply what you've just read.

I particularly liked the `Drafts and Revisions' chapter, which offered some solid techniques and advice on refining work. Also the examples of style and technique from literary greats, such as Mark Twain, H.L. Mencken, E.B. White and Annie Dillard.

Another excellent writers' guide from Oxford. This is an essential reference for new and veteran wordsmiths. Newcomers will gain comprehensive instruction in the art of writing, including techniques for encouraging creativity, organizing thoughts and clear writing. As for experienced scribes, this guide will remind you what you've forgotten and, most importantly, it will help you add that `something missing' to your writing.

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