Say What?: The Fiction Writer's Handy Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage (The Writer's Toolbox Series)

I don't know C.S. Lakin, but I've used her editing services once (and plan to again--she's a dream work with). As soon as I learned she was writing a usage guide, I decided to buy it. I received mine today and have already read through several chapters. I love the "Tips for Fiction Writers" on nearly every page and the chapter on Fiction Rules--partly because I've run into fiction-specific issues (writing numbers, for instance) that require a quick refresh. But everyone, even students, can benefit from the book. As an accomplished writer and editor, Ms. Lakin's skills and knowledge will allow me to reach for one volume for most of my questions instead of thumbing through various style guides. What a relief! And, yes, I may update this review once I've read every page, but I have a feeling I'll simply make this my well-worn, go-to writer's companion. (Note: I received a free Kindle download upon buying the paperback, but I'm not sure how long the offer lasts.)

C.S.Lakin has managed to do something that my high school teachers couldn't. She makes me understand the basics of grammar.Her book Say What? A writer's handy guide to Grammar,Punctuation, and Word Usage is filled with easy to understand explanations and examples of what she is talking about. Her delivery is in a light hearted tone but serious enough to make it come through to the person reading it.She also gives helpful writer's tips at the end of each subject she she talking about. This a must for any one writer or not that has a problem with grammar.

Suggested Areas for improvement:* Basic sentence structure and common mistakes made by writers.* When to use 'the' and when not to.* When to use a/an (this is covered, but not sufficiently).* Punctuation (also covered, but insufficient).* Singular/plural & tense mistakes made by writers.* POV issues.* The right ways of using punctuation around a dialogue (I found it elsewhere, but this should have been covered by this author). For the benefit of others, I will include the three common ways of writing dialogue/speech tags -- Mary said, "It sounds like fun. I want to go with you."- "It sounds like fun," Mary said. "I want to go with you."- "It sounds like fun. I want to go with you," Mary said.Please note: Punctuation needs to be within the quotes (in US English). The second sentence should be written like below, if the two sentences were separated by a comma, instead of a period:- "It sounds like fun," Mary said, "I want to go with you." (Note the period and comma after "Mary said" in each sentence.){Quote from: Strategic Rewriting: Includes Critique Group Guide by Anna Questerly}* "'She followed the man into the store with determination.' These are easy to fix, of course, just by rewording" - How? Reword it and show it to us. A few sections are left incomplete (like this), especially near the beginning.In general, I learned many new things from this book. I have been using many incorrect words in my writing, and I hope I will remember what I learned from this book. This is not a general grammar book - it shows many mistakes made by authors, especially with (incorrect) usage of words. This book also includes many general tips for fiction writers.If you have decided to self-edit your book, you can buy this book. Even if you intend to send it to an editor, the first few rounds of editing should be done by you, the author (IMO). With editors billing by the hour, I guess this will save you some money, as well.Don't forget to follow the blog of this author. I asked a question in the comments section, and I got a reply. I hope this will continue in the future, as well :)

This book is one that anyone who wants to avoid many common mistakes should own. I turn to this book each time I am writing, whether for myself or a client. For my editing work, it is now a favorite reference source.I like the easy to understand examples...and the easy writing style. Whether you are a self-published author or just starting out, this book is for you.I own both a print and Kindle edition, it is one of my must have sources when I am working as a writer or editor.

Lakin's, SAY WHAT?, continues to help me each time I sit down to write. In addition to having her book next to my computer, Lakin, writes a blog discussing the content of, SAY WHAT?, posted twice a week, [...]). Her column provides examples of how to apply her books rules and guidelines. The book and her column will help and aspiring authors or authors improve their writing skills. S.C. Lakinn, book is a must have for any author looking to get their book published.

At first I was a little overwhelmed by just how much information was contained within its pages. Say What? the Fiction Writer's Handy Guide to Grammar, Punctuation and Word Usage is just so very handy. I have picked it back up and read through it several times since that first read and each time found more within. I have a feeling I will continually come back to this book for reminders, tips and concepts I have forgotten. For any aspiring writer this book is a must!@LaurienotLori

I loved reading this book. By reading one chapter each day, I smoothed out the bumps in my writing and became a more efficient and effective writer. I learned a lot, even for someone who’s been teaching English for over twenty-five years. I would have liked to have a few practice exercises added to each chapter to reinforce my learning.Thanks to C.S. Lakin for writing this book.

CS Lakin is always my go-to source for literary info. Her blog Live. Write. Thrive! is full of great information on almost anything book related. So when I needed a book on proper grammar, it was a no brainer. Lakin writes in a way this very understandable and concise, and the information is current, with lots of examples to show the right...and wrong...way to punctuate and structure a sentence.

Love this book! First book on grammar that I've found that isn't a complete bore to read. A must buy for any writer.

C S Lakin, crams a lot of useful tips into this book. Until I purchased this book on Kindle, I had never read any of her books. Her explanations are helpful, so helpful in fact, that I bought the same book as a paperback. My only disappointment is the size of the paperback and size of the print, it could do with being a little bigger. But I can always switch to my Kindle version at anytime. For any budding author this book is worth buying to use as a reference guide or to improve your writing skills and sentence structure.

The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is the print size. Otherwise, it seems to cover a good number of subjects.

Every now and again, a book comes along that fills a gap. This book is one of them. It's not intimidating, as studies of formal grammar can be. It's also not simplistic.This book is directed at fiction writers. It contains a wealth of tips for effective writing as well as examples of what can go wrong from a grammatical perspective. It covers a lot of territory, and I'm very impressed. The author is an experienced editor and writer herself. She zeroes in on practical advice that certainly hit home with me. I thought my mastery of English was pretty good, but discovered this old dog can certainly learn some new tricks, and unlearn some bad habits as well.Say What? covers a lot of ground. However, the Table of Contents is well-thought-out and should be helpful when using the book to find specific problem areas. I know I will be referring to it myself as a writer. There were a few areas she touched on that I will need to review. I have only just finished reading the book and haven't attempted to look up any particular problem areas yet. But I certainly will.I would have given it 4.5 stars if that was available. Why didn't I give it 5 stars? Because there are a few mistakes in it. Such as, on page 143, the notion that "I don't want any more coffee" is correct, while "Have you got anymore coffee" is also correct. Erm, no. Especially as she had just explained that 'anymore' is an adverb meaning 'any longer,' while 'any more (two words) is an adjectival phrase meaning 'any additional.'These kinds of goofs crop up occasionally. I didn't take note of all of them, but I remember there being at least a couple more of them. SOME of the examples she gives to illustrate her points are also head-scratchers. It's sometimes not clear if the example is supposed to illustrate what is wrong, or what is right. I wish she had stuck to a more rigid formula when setting up each issue. Such as: This is right. This is wrong. This is why. Next....I expect some readers love the following aspect of this book—but I found the obligatory cutesy remarks at the end of each topic a tad irritating—and they felt forced (occasionally tortured.) 'Okay, enough already,' was my mental response to them, after a while.All that being said, I think Say What? is an excellent book, extremely good value for money, and I'll be recommending it to fellow members on my writers' forum. Its virtues totally outweigh the occasional slip-up.One caveat though—this book is written for fiction writers who use American English.It's not a reliable guide for writers who use a different form of English, such as Canadian or British. Ms Lakin does mention differences on occasion, but there is the need for a similar book directed specifically at Canadian and British writers. It's such a helpful guide!

This will be constantly on hand for reference purposes but I'm marking it read because I've had a good look through it and read a substantial part of it. It's not intended to be read through, but I learned some things I didn't know or had forgotten, especially the difference between 'lay' and 'lie' which catches me every time.Very friendly, very detailed, and a great resource. Highly recommended.