posted
I have recently checked out a bunch of books on writing from my friendly neighborhood library, and there are some very good ones out there. I thought this post could be a place for us to share which particular books are helpful to them, and recommend certain ones for certain problems. I notice they tend to pop up in various other posts, but maybe it would be nice to have them connected to one thread.
One of my all-time favorites is OSC's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy and I am still trying to find a copy of Character and Viewpoint.
One that I am currently reading is called
Revision: A Creative Approach to Writing and Rewriting Fiction by David Michael Kaplan. This book has really opened my eyes and is helping me a lot. I think that my novel will be much tighter and stronger as a result, and I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you haven't started writing yet.
As far as world-building goes, there are three I can recommend:
Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe by George Ochoa and Jeffrey Osier World-building by Stephen Gillett Aliens and Alien Societies by Stanley Schmidt Both of the latter are from the Science Fiction Writing Series edited by Ben Bova.
I know there are lots of other good ones out there. Which ones have worked for you and why?
posted
Stephen King, ON WRITING -- There's a lot of motivation here, and the longer I write the more I see just how good his advise is.
John Gardner, ON BECOMING A NOVELIST -- A no-nonsense book on what it means to be a serious writer, i.e., someone who takes his/her work seriously.
John Gardner, THE ART OF FICTION -- Another no-nonsense book, but not quite as good as On Becoming a Novelist. There's a great chapter on technique, and the list of exerecises at the end of the book is great.
Damon Knight, CREATING SHORT FICTION -- A good, basic introduction.
Gotham Writers' Workshop, WRITING FICTION -- The best "how-to" book, covering character, description, POV, theme, plot, pacing, etc.
Stephen Koch, THE MODERN LIBRARY WRITER'S WORKSHOP -- This is the BEST book I've ever read on the craft of writing--on what it means to be a writer. This book fundamentally changed me as a writer--my writing habits, my reading habits, my revision habits. In short, nothing was untouched.
[This message has been edited by Balthasar (edited August 20, 2004).]
posted
I will hav to agree with Balthasar about Stephen Kings, On Writing. I put off buying it until a month ago. It was on sale (hardback) for $5.99 at B&N. That was the best six bucks and change I have spent in a while. I have never been a King fan, but there is some very good advice in this book.
Also, Sometimes the Magic Works, by Terry Brooks is very good, and motivational. Like Kings book, it isn't just a "how to" book, but more of a "life as a writer" book.
I like both of these books because they don't just outline the writing process, the give life experiences along with the "how to" stuff. Much easier to read and connect with the authors.
posted
Writing the Breakout Novel and Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by D. Maass. Because of the wb, I can see so many errors in my novel and feel driven to rewriting it--even though it was on its third draft. I know it will be much better for it in the long run.
The wb is especially helpful, because it gives you exercises on how to implement the writing techniques from the companion book.
Another good one is The First Five Pages by Lukeman.
posted
It has been mentioned twice, but it is good enough to mention again. "The First Five Pages" is something anyone concidering submitting anything to a publisher should read first.
Description by Monica Wood is another book which I feel is as useful as "characters and viewpoints". I have to admit that OSC's viewpoint section was a bit thin, and the section on POV in Descriptions was more helpful.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
