Every writer’s desk should have a dictionary-thesaurus, a style guide, and a book of quotations. When I started writing for publication, I was told that I needed one dictionary and style guide for book publishing and a different set for newspaper style. OK, that’s four books already. The writer’s desk gets cluttered in a hurry if he or she tries to have all the “essential” references on hand. And—don’t forget, you have to update them every few years when the newest edition comes out.

If you’re a Wired Writer, though, your desk doesn’t have to be so cluttered. Much of what you need can be found online now. Some reference resources are free, while others might require an annual membership, but it might be worth it if it means you can have your reference works on hand wherever you and your computer are. In future posts, I’ll share information on other online reference works, but, for today, let’s concentrate on dictionaries. (more…)