Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Reference Material: What's good, what's not --

This is topic Reference Material: What's good, what's not -- in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by WillC (Member # 185) on :

I just picked up an older edition of The Elements of Style, that eternal classic for writers by Strunk & White. My question is -- is it still as essential as it has been? Are there better reference works for writers out there now, and if so, what are they? Let's use this thread to list and discuss the books we've read about the craft that has helped us -- it could prove helpful to those of us who are just starting.

WillC

[This message has been edited by WillC (edited February 12, 2001).]

Posted by Evil Star (Member # 632) on :

Hey how many of you have the book "The Heroes Journey" by Chris Voguler?

I have it
and I saw it on the shelf in that movie about making movies "American Movie"

anyway and another writer friend of mine had it as well

So I was just wondering

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Well, for my money, you can't beat ELEMENTS OF STYLE.

I just took an editing test as part of an application for an editing job, and I really wish I had reread ELEMENTS OF STYLE before I took that test. (I thought it was going to be on proofreading and such.)

Every writer needs to read and then reread ELEMENTS OF STYLE, whether they read any other reference material or not.

Posted by JP Carney (Member # 894) on :

I've seen the book The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler but I don't own it. One I do own, however, and would recommend would be Joseph Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces. This is a great source for understanding the hero's journey and the structure of myth (for storytelling).

As for The Elements of Style, I would wholly recommend it. I read my wife's copy last fall and was amazed that I'd never had to read it before then. Every writer should read it straight through at least once, and know the rules before trying to bend them. Without it, writers can simply look like they don't know the rules (and most of them are there for a reason). If you can't read it straight through, at least skim it and become familiar with its contents and use it as a reference. I think every writer's craft is made better for having read it.

While we're throwing out book titles, I've recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Stephen King's On Writing, and am now reading and enjoying Richard Cohen's Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction. Both are good for different reasons, but I'll refrain from giving my review unless you'd really like to know. <grin>

Anyone esle have writing resources (inspirational? instructional?) they'd like to share? I'm always looking for more books to buy (just don't tell my wife). <big grin>

Ciao,

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Another little book (and therefore relatively inexpensive) that I have found very helpful is Rust Hills' WRITING IN GENERAL AND THE SHORT STORY IN PARTICULAR.

I finished King's ON WRITING a week or so ago and found it very interesting as well.

One thing that tends to happen to me when I read how-to-write books is that my mind starts wandering to one of my writing projects and I start thinking about how this or that principle in the how-to-write book could work with whatever project it happens to make me think of (I usually have several projects going at once).

Before I know it, I've put down the how-to-write book and sat down at the computer to try the idea on the project, and it may be a while before I get back to the how-to-write book, if at all.

I find how-to-write books extremely valuable because of that, and pick one up whenever I feel writer's block threatening.

The better the book, the sooner I get ideas, but even a barely adequate how-to-write book can do the job.

You have to have ideas and projects floating around waiting to be worked on, however.

Posted by rainsong (Member # 430) on :

Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, by Lawrence Block. If I had to recommend one book on fiction-writing, it'd be that. Elements of Style is a good book, but it was such a booooring read.