Here is a list of writing books that have taught me some amazing things about writing fiction. (Or books I’ve written to help others.) You can check many of them out at your local library or click on the cover to see them on Amazon.com.
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Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy
No one person has given me more “Ah ha!” moments as I learned to write fiction than Randy Ingermanson. I took his Fiction 101 and Fiction 201 audio courses and learned so much. Now he has taken most of that wisdom and put it in this book. If you are a begining writer and can only afford one book, start with this one.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
This book was the one I felt taught me the most about how to rewrite my first draft. I found it early on in my writing journey and learned a lot from it. Chapter titles include:
Show and Tell, Characterization and Exposition, Point of View, Dialogue Mechanics, Easy Beats, Voice.
The authors do an excellent job of explaining what you might be doing wrong, and they give great examples of how to fix it.
The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke
“Toss aside your s’mores and put on your director’s chapeau. It’s time to stop telling stories and start making movies–on paper.”
This is the theme of Jeff Gerke’s lessons on writing fiction. It’s absolutely brilliant. As Jeff gives the example of a story told around a flickering campfire, you will see the difference between showing and telling. You can’t miss it. Sure, it will still take a lot of work to get your own writing to that point, but I wish I would have had this book back when I first started. Thankfully, I am always learning and this book is filled with so much good information, I will refer to it again and again. I highly recommend it for all writers. It’s the king of book you read and learn so much from. But it’s also the kind of book that you will want to pick up for reference when you need help. As Jeff says, “You are not a Jedi yet.” So if you want to learn how to write great fiction, if you need a bit of extra help with your writing, or if you need to know what you are doing wrong, you must have this book. You must. It’s worth it for Jeff’s Star Wars references alone.
Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
Novelist, editor, and teacher, Sol Stein, offers a book filled with wisdom. He starts out by explaining that what a writer’s job is all about. Then he heads right into a chapter on first sentences and paragraphs. This book covers everything and it’s easy to read and apply. He covers fiction and nonfiction, so I devoured the fiction section and skimmed the nonfiction section. But there is some great advice in the nonfiction section that is good for a fiction writer to know.
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
We all dream of writing a bestseller. A novel that will live on the New York Times Bestseller list for weeks, months, and maybe even years. Maass explains the elements that all breakout novels share and shows readers how to use these elements to write a novel that has a good chance of succeeding in a crowded marketplace. They’ll learn to: – Create a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place – Develop larger-than-life characters – Sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish – Weave sub-plots into the main action – Explore universal themes that will interest a large audience.
On Writing by Stephen King
Speaking of bestselling authors, here is writing advice from one of the masters. Stephen King’s On Writing is a combination autobiography and writing lessons for aspiring novelists. I loved hearing about the nail on the wall where he would hang rejection after rejection as a kid. I loved discovering that even Stephen King was insecure about his writing. His story is one that authors will relate to coming from a man who’s been there. Reading this book was like I got to sit down with the best writing mentor and glean wisdom from his life. I’m so glad he write this book.
Go Teen Writers: Write Your Novel by Stephanie Morrill, Jill Williamson, and Shannon Dittemore
This is a book for writers who are just starting out. I collaborated with the Go Teen Writers girls to compile a book for writers struggling to finish a strong first draft. We talk about brainstorming, where to start, character development, plot structure, storyworld building. We have three different perspectives to offer writers who are outliners and those who create as they go. Not only do we share our processes and advice, we cheer you on and act as mentors as you embark upon a fabulous, fun, and sometimes frustrating journey. If you have a question, it’s probably answered in this book.
Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel by Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson
This was the first writing book I ever wrote. I collaborated with Stephanie Morrill of the Go Teen Writers blog to write a book to help all our fabulous teen writers who had finished a first draft and needed help editing and revising it so it would be ready for publication. If you have a book that needs a macro or micro edit, this is a great book to help you tackle such a task. This book has been updated to include a section on indie publishing as well.
You’ll learn:
•Methods for efficiently editing your novel.
•What problems to look for in your manuscript and how to solve them.
•Where to start editing, and how to know when you’re done.
•How to keep track of your story’s character, storyworld, and setting details.
•How a critique group can help you.
•The pros and cons of traditional and self-publishing.
•An overview of pitching your novel and making writing your career.
•And much more!
Storyworld First by Jill Williamson
This is a book for those of you creating a unique storyworld of your own. The question I hear most from beginners about building a fantasy storyworld is, “Where do I start?” Whether you’re starting from scratch or are looking to add depth to a finished story, Storyworld First will get you thinking..
Medieval Swordsmanship by John Clements.
This is a great book if you are writing medieval fight scenes. It teaches you to use a medieval short sword and shield, and a medieval long sword—not a rapier, which is a later Renaissance weapon.
And for grammar and punctuation, I recommend:
The Chicago Manual of Style
This is the book that the publishing industry uses for fiction novels. This is a book of punctuation and grammar rules. Need to know if the question mark goes before or after the quotes? What’s an em dash, anyway? And do you capitalize mom and dad or not? This book–at over 1000 pages–will give you all the answers. It’s been an invaluable took for me..
Punctuation 101
If you’re wanting a reference guide for writing that isn’t over 1000 pages, this is a great one to have handy. It’s only a little over 100 pages, and is filled with the most common topics of language style and usage. The other handy thing about this little book is that I wrote it JUST for fiction writers. I wanted a book that would have all the rules fiction writers needed to know, which is much less overwhelming than the Chicago Manual of Style and will still get your manuscript shining.