Is the bookshelf the reflection of the person? We writers and editors are only as good as our libraries, although those libraries today must include resources online as well as in print. Here are some working lists of sites and sources essential to wordsmiths.

Writers and editors throw the term narrative journalism around loosely, and many don’t really know how to define it. Here’s my own short definition: narrative journalism is reported nonfiction that uses the techniques of fiction to enliven the story.

Here is a sampling of some of the best works of narrative journalism that have been published in books.

Having trouble remembering when to use who and whom? Confused by which and that? Want to bone up on the parts of a sentence? Well, hie thee to a bookstore and buy Sin and Syntax, which will also tell you how deploy these grammatical fine points to write “wicked good prose.” If you hunger for more, here are my favorite grammar guides—from the geeky to the goofy.

I’m a big fan of books, and I love, love, love my library. That’s where I go first when I have language questions. But maybe you’re on the road, or you just love to surf the Web. Here are some online resources that I have found to be both credible and helpful when it comes to grammar questions.

There are a gazillion dictionaries out there, and some are much more respected than other. Many people think “Webster’s” is the key word, but it’s actually meaningless; what matters is the publisher and its reputation for lexicography. Here’s a roundup on the dictionaries editors tend to favor, with a bit of explanation as to why.

Some people put thesauruses in a category with the pegasuarus–that is, extinct. But not me! The thesaurus (the one on my bookshelf, not the one in Microsoft Word) is my favorite tool. Why? because I’m an absolute fiends about finding the right word, and I need help to do it.

Is the bookshelf the reflection of the person? We writers and editors are only as good as our libraries, although those libraries today must include resources online as well as in print. Here are some working lists of sites and sources essential to wordsmiths.

Usage guides don’t define words as a dictionary does, and they don’t tell you how to capitalize words or where to put hyphens as a style manual does. Instead they explain the way we use words in English, and the subtle differences between certain words (e.g., affect and effect) that are often confused.