The Writer's tools. Words.

As writers, words are our tools. A good workman (or woman) always keeps their tools sharp and in good repair.

How do we keep the words we use sharp and in good repair?

You must ensure your books are kept in good, clean condition, in as much as you can.

Make sure that you have several good dictionaries. An old one to look up previous word usage and two modern dictionaries.

Also have two or three dictionaries of quotation so that, if you want to use quotations in your writings. Some people rely on memory. DON'T! This can really spoil the effect of an article, if a quotation has been poorly remembered.

Also it is probably just as well to have a guide to correct language use, in case you need yo check up on something that you are unsure of.

An encyclopaedia is useful, too. In fact, have two or three, one a small "pocket" sized issue.

Do you have these on your computer or do you have them in book form?

Well, I have tried both. And after several incidents of computer freeze, I decided to go back to using "real" books. After all, have you ever had a "Windows error" when holding a book in your hands? No! Me neither! Now, of course, there are E-Books and E-Book readers such as the Kindle, etc.

Also, you need to keep your mind sharp. You can use crosswords, word games and the like. This helps to sharpen up your mind and the way you use words.