Sidney Said:

writing engineering english documents; any good text?

We Answered:

There are so many books available in bookstores for english writing and composition. Try to visit some of the local bookstores in your place. Also, don't forget to always refer with the dictionary about the correct usage and meaning of the words.

Good luck.

Rachel Said:

I want to write a novel. What some some great writing guides for beginner novelists?

We Answered:

If I had to recommend only one, "Story" by Robert McKee. This book is used as a text-book for storytelling courses at the top film schools. Don't go for any gimmicks that tell you that you don't need a plot to write a story, or that you can write a story in one month. Get to the heart of the matter and learn what makes a story and do it right. This book will do that for you.

Then maybe "Screenplay" by Syd Field.

Don't worry that Screenplay focuses on film. The real focus is on storytelling and that's what you want to focus on for your novel.

Marcia Said:

Will you be using the new Yahoo Style Guide for your blogs or posts?

We Answered:

yay sure why not

Gwendolyn Said:

Do you know any sites on guide to 'good writing'?

We Answered:

There are a number of resources that are linked to on this page:

http://www.refdesk.com/factgram.html

Good luck!

Joe Said:

What is the AP Stylebook's rule about s/he, he or she, he, etc. usage?

We Answered:

Avoid "s/he" - this is unpronouncible. "He or she" is acceptable under the guidelines of the AP stylebook. However, a better alternative is to make the antecedent plural so you can use the pronoun "they."

Here is what our training manual says, using the sample sentence "If someone wants to write well, he needs to use good grammar."

To remove the gender bias of "he" or to avoid the ungrammatical "they," the sentence needs a fundamental change. For example, the sentence could be revised to read, "If people want to write well, they need to use good grammar." By making the subject and the pronoun both plural, the sentence is grammatically correct. This sentence no longer suffers from gender bias, and you no longer need to choose between "he or she" and "s/he."

Marie Said:

Can anyone recommend good reference material for grammar and writing mechanics?

We Answered:

I use the Oxford Style Manual at home as its heavy but I also have Collins Improve Your Punctuation and Collins easy learning Grammar and Punctuation. These are small paperback versions.