Writing is an art and a craft just like playing the piano, designing a building, knitting a sweater, painting a mural or composing a symphony. It takes knowledge, practice, education and gobs of experience.

As Stephen King says so eloquently in his book, On Writing: “I don’t believe writers can be made, either by circumstances or by self-will….The equipment comes with the original package. Yet it is by no means unusual equipment; I believe large numbers of people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that those talents can be strengthened and sharpened.” *

Learning how to write is as important—maybe more so—than wanting to write. A smidgeon of talent and a desire to learn can produce good writing. An abundance of talent and a resistance to learn, won’t.

For writers today, navigating this vast and ever-expanding world of the Internet, learning the rules, lessons, nuances, tricks and tips of writing is easy. Condensing them into manageable portions is the tough part.

Couple this abundance with the fact that language (even grammar, gasp!) is changing, and you have a job on your hands.

So, who do you turn to?  And whom can you trust? (Who vs whom is one of those rules gaining chameleon-like status.) Happily, there are a few sterling resources out there.

One of my favorites—and I believe the best—online help sites is The Editor’s Blog, manned by fiction editor Beth Hill. Here’s the link: http://theeditorsblog.net  This highly knowledgeable editor gets deep into the weeds of writing and can answer just about any question.

Another source I recommend is Stephen King’s book, mentioned above. If for no other reason, read it to learn about Eula-Beulah. I promise you. It’s great.

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King