I am starting to collect research information by topic. No clue what I intend to do with the information. However, now that I am organizing the information into folders, I hope to see a pattern to my interests.

I just started a book, Is There a Book Inside You. The author is Dan Poynter. He has some good ideas regarding where to look for possible book topics. At this time, I am only interested in writing non-fiction, Self-Help or How-To books. The book had a few tests to determine if you were ready to write a book. I did not score well. It appears that I might need collaborators. Or, I may not be ready to start the process. Now, that makes sense since I have no topic...not even the glimmer of a topic.

Today, I finished William Safire's, Fumble-Rules. It is called a lighthearted guide to grammar and good useage. This was not a book to read quickly, as is my wont. The author's writing is a joy to read. He is funny, irreverent and makes his point succinctly. He has many rules like:

Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read.
Eschew dialect, irregardless.
Never use propositions to end sentences with.
Don't use no double negatives.
Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

I just copied these rules from the back cover.

Here's more that I liked:

A writer must not shift your point of view.
Do not put statements in the negative form.
Don't use Capital letters without good REASON.
Write all adverbial forms correct.
Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration.
And, don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
The passive voice should never be used.
Writing carefully, dangling participles should be avoided.
Never use a long word when a dimunitive one will do.
Use parallel structure when you write and in speaking.
Remember to never split an infinitive.
Take the bull by the hand and don't mix metaphors.