Trustworthy Writing Standards

 By Andrea Merrell

The woman’s shelves were filled with books on the craft of writing. And knowing her, she had surely read each and every one of them. But even with all the resources at her fingertips, she questioned the validity of the information. 

“They don’t seem to agree on many things,” she said. "One author says this while another touts the opposite approach. Sometimes a Google search and conferring with trusted writer-friends sometimes leaves me confused. Even agents, editors, and publishers offer differing thoughts and opinions. What should I do?”

For writers, both new and seasoned, this is a valid and important question. Where should we go to get the right information?

Most of us who have been in the writing and editing world for a while know where to turn. Our go-to standards include The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style (CWMS), and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. When all else fails and every other source disagrees or offers another alternative, these are the sources we can, as they say, hang our hats on with confidence.

Those who write primarily for the Christian market also have a standard: the unchanging, unfailing, life-giving Word of God. With all the voices in the world telling us to go this way or that, our only go-to must be the Bible. As believers we have a responsibility to present hope, encouragement, and truth to those who read our words. It’s the anointed Word of God—not our opinions—that brings light into a dark and fallen world.

Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63 NKJV). Hebrews tells us the Word is as “quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12 NKJV). The MSG version describes it like this: “Sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.”

We all need standards in every area of our life. So my advice for you is: Do your research and check your sources. Just make sure you’re using the right ones.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash