Here are some books I'd recommend for writing instruction/advice:
The Synonym Finder -- kicks Roget's ass all over the map
http://www.amazon.com/Synonym-Finder-J-I-Rodale/dp/B000LP66TS
Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg -- it's a bit New Agey, but I adored it enough to name
my main character after Ms. Goldberg
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/0877733759
Bird by Bird -- Ann Lamott --good life advice, funny stories and some writing advice as well
http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016
On Writing Well - William K. Zinsser good non-fiction writing instruction
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-30th-Anniversary-Nonfiction/dp/006089...
On Writing Well -Strunk and White a classic and hella concise
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X...
The Chicago Manual of Style another classic reference work
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Manual-Style-University-Press/dp/022610403...
Some basic tips:
*Read your work aloud (you find errors, unintentional rhymes, bad phrases much easier this way--also, if it's difficult to read aloud
it's probably hard for the readers to follow).
*Find a critique group (Any group of people willing to review your work whom you might also review can be invaluable. Not only
does having multiple pairs of eyes on your work help, but editing others' work can often help you rethink your own. I often
identify mistakes in my own work by first spotting it in others' works.)
*Let things sit, then review them. (This isn't always an option, but I've discovered I'm much more able to edit pieces that I have
not worked on or looked at recently. Fresh eyes are everything.)
*Try the condensation approach to your writing. Use condensation notes on your own paper, breaking it down by paragraph or section. (Do you spot any gaps or leaps in logic that elude the reader? Fill 'em in.)
*If starting at the beginning is too hard, start at the end. (Start with your conclusion and work backwards. No one says you can't.)
