"Random House Guide to Good Writing," by Mitchell Ivers, is an inspiring, entertaining, and informative guide that goes beyond the rules of grammar, syntax, and punctuation. The goal is to "help you turn your appreciation of good writing into an ability to write well."
The author discusses voice, tone, diction, and structure, and he emphasizes the importance of expressing yourself with purpose, using an appropriate style. Always keep your aim and audience in mind when putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Are you creating a novel or short story? Are you writing a letter to a company to complain about a defective product? Do you want to compose an essay persuading your readers that the death penalty is barbaric and ineffective? Or are you dashing off a newspaper article describing a shooting in a fast food outlet? Your choice of words will vary according to the purpose of the piece and your intended audience.
Ivers includes dozens of well-chosen quotations and excerpts from famous authors to illustrate his points. A few lines from "The Wasteland" exemplify T. S. Eliot's formal style of writing as well as his use of classical allusions. Two excerpts, one from Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi," and another from a Chicago Tribune column by the journalist Mike Royko, demonstrate a familiar and informal style. In addition, Ivers includes exercises to help the reader practice the skills taught in each section. The chapters on grammar and usage, and an appendix outlining the guidelines used by Random House's copy editors and proofreaders, are clearly written and filled with excellent examples.
No book can transform everyone into a good writer. However, by following the guidelines in this excellent manual, most writers will learn to express themselves more simply and coherently. Ivers quotes Hemingway, who said, "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." This book will not make you a master, but it can help you write with more polish and self-assurance.
