Resources

Whether you’re a professional writer or simply want to write better, I think you’ll like the following.

Websites

• Merriam-Webster: This is my go-to dictionary. The free version is fine, but you can also pay $49.95/year for a membership that includes collegiate, unabridged, and medical versions and more goodies.
• OneLook.com: An amazing website that I use every day. It’s like a magic thesaurus.
• Power Thesaurus is also excellent.
• CapitalizeMyTitle.com: Just like it sounds—and you can specify your style guide of choice.
• Describing Words: “Find adjectives that describe things.” It can provide some kind of weird results, honestly, but you might want to try it out.
• Grammar Girl: Mignon Fogarty does a great job of explaining things clearly.
• Etymology Online: Fabulous, fascinating free resource.
• Urban Dictionary: If you’re ever dabbling in slang or strange word constructions, do check this site to make sure you’re not describing something filthy. Actually, there’s a filthy interpretation of absolutely everything, but you can use your judgment about how widely recognized the definitions are.
• Oxford English Dictionary: Subscription isn’t cheap, but it’s an unsurpassed resource if you want to be able to dig into word histories.
• Chicago Manual of Style: $44/year, wisely spent.
• AP Stylebook: $27/year, if you must follow AP style.​

Books

• Garner’s Modern English Usage by Bryan A. Garner: If you had to get only one book, I think I’d tell you to get this one. Somehow, Garner manages to answer every question imaginable in here. (I actually have an earlier edition called Garner’s Modern American Usage. The newer version can only—somehow—be better.)
• The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin: This is the latest edition, which I don’t have myself. But I do have an earlier version, and it’s a comprehensive, easy-to-use resource.
• The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon: So fun. So informative.
• Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller: Very helpful explanation of how to use “story” effectively. 
• The Grammar Devotional: Daily Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl™ by Mignon Fogarty
• Grammar Girl’s™ 101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again by Mignon Fogarty
• ​Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss: You’ve probably heard of it. You’ve probably read it.
• It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences by June Casagrande: If you really want to improve your writing, this is a great way to go. Very clearly written and engaging.
• Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer: Wow, do I love this book.
• Common Errors in English Usage by Paul Brians
• Bryson’s Dictionary of Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson
• The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know by June Casagrande
• The Elephants of Style: A Trunkload of Tips on the Big Issues and Gray Areas of Contemporary American English by Bill Walsh
• Lapsing Into a Comma: A Curmudgeon’s Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print—and How to Avoid Them by Bill Walsh
• Yes, I Could Care Less: How to Be a Language Snob Without Being a Jerk by Bill Walsh
• Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory by Roy Blount Jr.: The title gives you a taste. Fun stuff.

​Learning

• Masterclass: I’ve heard that David Sedaris’s class is great.
• Skillshare: Get a free month with this link.
• The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins: FABulous lecture series (audio) by Anne Curzan. ​

Podcasts

• A Way with Words: Nonjudgmental explanations of words and quirky turns of phrase from every corner of the English language. The hosts are affable and extremely knowledgable.
• The Allusionist: Reeeaally good.
• Grammar Girl: As mentioned above. She knows her stuff and explains it clearly.
• Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: Super short—a nice little shot of knowledge.
• That’s What They Say: Delicious exploration of language with Anne Curzan of The Secret Life of Words lecture series mentioned above.
• ​Merriam-Webster's Word Matters: A “show for readers, writers, and anyone who ever loved their English class.”

My Stuff

• If you follow me on LinkedIn, I post a lesson about language there pretty much every day.
• You can sign up to receive an email once each week with one of my little spelling/grammar lessons.
• You can see almost all of my lessons on my Shiny Red Copy Instagram account.
• AND! My book Unflubbify Your Writing: Bite-Sized Lessons to Improve Your Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar is available right here!

PS: I am happy to take a minuscule sliver of Amazon’s profits, and so I have shamelessly used affiliate links for the book titles above.