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Top 10 Books For Writers : On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, The Elements of Style, Writing the Breakout Novel, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies, The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
AuthorStephen King
ISBN0743455967
"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every...
The Elements of Style
AuthorWilliam Strunk Jr.
ISBN0205313426
This book is good for the following things:

1. Propping up a short table leg

2. Lining a bird cage

3. Building a fire

4. Using as a coaster for cold drinks



I devoted some of my grammar thesis to criticizing this book, and it was time well spent.


Geoff...
Writing the Breakout Novel
AuthorDonald Maass
Take your fiction to the next level!

Maybe you're a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you've already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo. Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose...
Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies
AuthorSol Stein
ISBN0312254210
Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for all writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether they are newcomers or old hands, students or instructors, amateurs or professionals. As the always clear and direct Stein explains here, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions--how...
The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller
AuthorJohn Truby
ISBN0865479518
John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all...
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
AuthorRobert McKee
ISBN0060391685
Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese and David Bowie are just a few of...
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
AuthorLynne Truss
ISBN1592402038
In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Lynne Truss, gravely concerned about our current grammatical state, boldly defends proper punctuation. She proclaims, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful...
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
AuthorAnne Lamott
ISBN0385480016
"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and...
Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings
AuthorDiana Pavlac Glyer
ISBN1606352768
Copy provided by Kent State University Press.

In The Company They Keep, Diana Pavlac Glyer established herself among the foremost Inklings scholars. It’s one of those rarities, a deeply academic book that is also immensely readable.

That book proved that the Inklings really...
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
AuthorNatalie Goldberg
ISBN1590303164
For more than twenty years Natalie Goldberg has been challenging and cheering on writers with her books and workshops. In her groundbreaking first book, she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way. Writing practice, as she calls it, is no different from other forms of Zen practice--"it...
GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction
AuthorDebra Dixon
ISBN0965437108
Goal, motivation, and conflict are the foundation of everything that happens in the story world. Using charts, examples, and movies, the author breaks these key elements down into understandable components and walks the reader through the process of laying this foundation in his or her own work.

Learn...
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go
AuthorLes Edgerton
ISBN1582974578
*The first pages are the #1 key to acceptance or rejection of manuscripts--most agents and editors claim to make their decision on a manuscript after the very first page, which means that no writer can afford to have a weak story beginning *The first and only fiction-writing book that focuses exclusively...
How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling
AuthorJames N. Frey
ISBN0312010443
Written in a clear, crisp, accessible style, this book is perfect for beginners as well as professional writers who need a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of storytelling. Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.

An...
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
AuthorRenni Browne
ISBN0060545690
"A superb tutorial for anyone wanting to learn from pros how to polish fiction writing with panache."-- Library Journal

Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn...
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II: Advanced Techniques for Dramatic Storytelling
AuthorJames N. Frey
ISBN0312104782
"Damn good" fiction is dramatic fiction, Frey insists, whether it is by Hemingway or Grisham, Le Carre or Ludlum, Austen or Dickens. Despite their differences, these authors' works share common elements: strong narrative lines, fascinating characters, steadily building conflicts, and satisfying...
The Hero With a Thousand Faces
AuthorJoseph Campbell
ISBN0691017840
The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers...
Characters and Viewpoint
AuthorOrson Scott Card
Vivid and memorable characters aren't born: they have to be made.

This book is a set of tools: literary crowbars, chisels, mallets, pliers and tongs. Use them to pry, chip, yank and sift good characters out of the place where they live in your memory, your imagination and your soul.

Award-winning...
Techniques of the Selling Writer
AuthorDwight V. Swain
ISBN0806111917
Techniques of the Selling Writer provides solid instruction for people who want to write and sell fiction, not just to talk and study about it. It gives the background, insights, and specific procedures needed by all beginning writers. Here one can learn how to group words into copy that moves, movement...
How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them—A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide
AuthorHoward Mittelmark
ISBN0061357952
Many writing books offer sound advice on how to write well. This is not one of those books. On the contrary, this is a collection of terrible, awkward, and laughably unreadable excerpts that will teach you what to avoid—at all costs—if you ever want your novel published.

In How Not to Write...
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
AuthorWilliam Zinsser
ISBN0060891548
On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people...
The Word-Loss Diet
AuthorRayne Hall
Tighten and tone your writing style, and use simple revision tricks to slim down your manuscript. Shed thousands of words without changing the plot.

Strip away the word fat and reveal the muscle of your unique author voice.

This book is short, but potent.

It is perfect for
-...
No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days
AuthorChris Baty
ISBN0811845052
You've always wanted to write, but . . . just haven't gotten around to it. No Plot? No Problem! is the kick in the pants you've been waiting for.

Let Chris Baty, founder of the rockin' literary marathon National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo), guide you through four exciting weeks of...
Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence
AuthorLisa Cron
ISBN1607742454
This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element.

  Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story,...
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes
AuthorJack M. Bickham
ISBN0898798213
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes

When you write fiction, you march onto a minefield. This book gives you a map.

Oh, what tricky terrain you're traveling! You must reckon with: Character, Conflict, Point of View, Dialogue, Editors, Editors, and Editors, who--by returning...
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them
AuthorFrancine Prose
ISBN0060777052
In her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and the tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humor, and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire...
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
AuthorOrson Scott Card
Writing for science fiction and fantasy audiences can be the most exciting writing you've ever done. Your readers are curious and want you to take them beyond ""The Fields We Know,"" to help them explore the infinite boundaries of the worlds you create.

Here, science fiction great Orson Scott...
Writing 21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling
AuthorDonald Maass
ISBN1599634007
The first book to provide a concrete framework for writing powerful literary/commercial novels. With this book, literary novelists will: Learn to create compelling plots, while commercial novelists will be able to achieve literary quality writing and win critical respect. Examine examples,...
The Artist's Way
AuthorJulia Cameron
ISBN1585421464
The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital today—or perhaps even more so—than it was when it was first published one decade ago, it is a...
Creating Characters: How to Build Story People
AuthorDwight V. Swain
ISBN0806139188
A jargon-free manual on the basics of developing interesting fictional characters

Vibrant, believable characters help drive a fictional story. Along with a clever plot, well-drawn characters make us want to continue reading a novel or finish watching a movie. In Creating Characters,...
Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary
AuthorMarc McCutcheon
ISBN0816059268
Descriptionary is a handy book book of lists with definition. I found things like the lists of dogs, horses, and animals very useful. I had not known a lot of the proper terms to describe them.

A word list example from the dog's section includes:
Apple head
badger-marked
cloddy
ringtail

They...
Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life
AuthorBarnaby Conrad
ISBN1582971943
I have really mixed feelings about "Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life." On one hand, it's a fine collection of "Peanuts" comic strips devoted to Snoopy's failed attempts to become a novelist; on the other hand, it's also a ridiculously awful collection of some of the most simple-minded, unhelpful,...
Writing Irresistible KidLit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers
AuthorMary Kole
ISBN1599635763
Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise...
The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great
AuthorDonald Maass
Discover the Difference Between a So-So Manuscript and a Novel Readers Can't Forget

We've all read them: novels by our favorite authors that disappoint. Uninspired and lifeless, we wonder what happened. Was the author in a hurry? Did she have a bad year? Has he lost interest altogether?

Something...
Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
AuthorDavid Gerrold
ISBN1582970076
This is a really useful and enjoyable little book. Not perfect, but I find books on writing to be much of a muchness. Depending on where you are on the curve, there will be a lot that you've read before, and usually a few really thought provoking new ideas, but in the end, as Gerrold says here, these books are...
Creating Unforgettable Characters
AuthorLinda Seger
ISBN0805011714
It covers characters in Films, Novels and even Ads. Full of helpful quotes from screenwriters and novelists.

Not as dense as her Making Good Script Great, there are many "this writer traveled to Africa to research his character and that writer lived among the Amish to understand them and that...
What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers
AuthorAnne Bernays
ISBN0062720066
What If? is the first handbook for writers based on the idea that specific exercises are one of the most useful and provocative methods for mastering the art of writing fiction. With more than twenty-five years of experience teaching creative writing between them, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter offer...
Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life
AuthorNatalie Goldberg
ISBN0553347756
Natalie Goldberg, author of the bestselling  Writing Down The Bones, teaches a method  of writing that can take you beyond craft to the  true source of creative power: The mind that is  "raw, full of energy, alive and  hungry."



Here is compassionate, practical,...
The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes
AuthorAngela Ackerman
ISBN0989772519
Character creation can be hard, but it’s about to get a lot easier. Inside The Positive Trait Thesaurus, you’ll find:

* A large selection of attributes to choose from when building a personality profile. Each entry lists possible causes for why a trait might emerge, along with associated...
Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer's Craft
AuthorNatalie Goldberg
ISBN0553374966
In this long-awaited sequel to her bestselling books Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, Natalie Goldberg, one of the most sought-after writing teachers of our time, takes us to the next step in the writing process.

You’ve filled your notebooks, done your writing practice, discovered...
The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws
AuthorAngela Ackerman
ISBN0989772500
Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. But the task has become easier thanks to The Negative Trait Thesaurus.

Through its flaw-centric exploration of character arc, motivation, emotional...
Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict: Techniques for Crafting an Expressive and Compelling Novel
AuthorCheryl St. John
ISBN1599637588
Craft an Emotionally Charged Story That Will Resonate with Readers

Emotional impact shouldn't be dropped into your novel as an afterthought or forced upon your story with a pair of pliers and an iron grip. It should be carefully sewn into the fabric of the story to create tension-filled moments...
Bullies, Bastards and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction
AuthorJessica Page Morrell
ISBN1582974845
Get to Know Your Character's Sinister Side
A truly memorable antagonist is not a one-dimensional super villain bent on world domination for no particular reason. Realistic, credible bad guys create essential story complications, personalize conflict, add immediacy to a story line, and force...
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints
AuthorNancy Kress
ISBN1582973164
Create Complex Characters

How do you create a main character readers won't forget? How do you write a book in multiple-third-person point of view without confusing your readers (or yourself)? How do you plant essential information about a character's past into a story?

Write Great...
Wrede on Writing: Tips, Hints, and Opinions on Writing
AuthorPatricia C. Wrede
ISBN1626812225
How do I turn an idea into a novel? How do I build a character? How do I decide how to tell a story?
Patricia C. Wrede has been a stalwart of the sci-fi/fantasy world for decades, publishing dozens of books across multiple series, storming bestseller lists and corralling accolades from critics and...
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