Preface

In writing the Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers, I remain convinced that students are empowered by knowledge and deserve unwavering respect as emerging writers.

This is the third Canadian edition of the Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers; its U.S. counterpart is now in its sixth edition. As in previous editions, I’ve designed this revision of the Handbook for three purposes: as a classroom text, a self-instruction manual, and a reference book. My greatest wish for students who use this book is that they succeed as writers and joyfully fulfil their potential in academic, personal, workplace, and public settings.

In writing the Handbook, I’ve sought to be inclusive of all people. Role stereotyping and sexist language are avoided; man is never used generically for the human race (rare exceptions may appear in quotations from published writers); male and female writers are represented equally in examples; and many ethnic groups are represented in the mix of student and professional writing examples.

To unify this new edition of the Handbook, my stance throughout is that writing emerges from context, not from isolated components. I’ve written the exercises in connected discourse, not in random sentences collected together. As students do the exercises, they experience what real writers face when they revise and edit. For exercise content, I’ve drawn from subjects across the curriculum, choosing those with intrinsic interest for all students. Similarly, I’ve formed clusters of examples with related content so that students can focus on the instruction instead of on a new topic with each new example.

The Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers, Third Canadian Edition, has followed the inspiration of the U.S. Sixth Edition in adding extensive new material. The Third Canadian Edition is nevertheless based closely on the previous Canadian editions and retains their core features. To acquaint you with this new edition, the rest of this introduction is divided into sections:

• “How to Locate” Guide lists the navigation tools that help students easily locate what they want to find.
• New Features lists the abundant, exciting additions to the Third Canadian Edition.
• Core Features lists the many popular elements that I have retained from my previous editions.

But first, a personal note: When I was an undergraduate years ago, handbooks for student writers weren’t widely available or used. Questions about writing nagged at me, but I couldn’t find a book to answer them. On top of my being curious about the “why” of English and its conventions, my less-than-precise ear for language annoyed me. I worried that I guessed too often, and I felt frustrated by my ignorance. The semester before I graduated, I happily discovered a dusty, thin book on a little-used library shelf that answered some—though not all—of my questions. Back then, I could never have imagined that someday I myself might write a considerably expanded, modern version of a handbook for writers. Once I completed the Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers (I started writing the U.S. First Edition in 1983, and it was published in 1987), I was amazed that I had had the nerve to begin. This proves to me—and I hope to students—that with persistence and patience, anyone can master English and writing.

In that spirit, I hope faculty and students alike will join in the conversation my pages seek to invite. Please e-mail me at <LQTBook@aol.com>. I look forward to your starting our conversation.

Lynn Quitman Troyka