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Posted by Miriel (Member # 2719) on :
 
I have a hard time finding good books about writing: there are a few I love, but there are so many mediocre books on writing, it's hard to wade through them. Anybody have some good suggestions? I also have a hard time finding clearly writen, useful books on the business of writing -- contracts specifically. Does anyone have some favorites? Thanks.
 
Posted by TheoPhileo (Member # 1914) on :
 
Ah, yes, the bi-monthly "books on writing" thread. I'm actually glad this resurfaces so often; it's terribly useful.

*Characters and Viewpoint (of course!) by Orson Scott Card. An absolute must-read. He also did one on Fantasy & SF writing which is good, though I think slightly less essential.

*On Writing by Stephen King. I've never really read much of his other stuff, but this one was great. Mainly biographical, but very good at motivating you for the needed perseverence in writing. He does offer some good practical tips as well.

Dig around a bit here on Hatrack. There have been several lists made (Pull down the "Show Post from the last 45 days" menu and change to "show all topics," or run a search.)
 


Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
 
Interesting you would point to Stephen Kin's "On Writing." OSC pointed at that one as particularly bad advice.

Speaking of Card, the book "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" is his other great writing title.


 


Posted by TheoPhileo (Member # 1914) on :
 
Interesting... what did he point out as bad in it? I definitely saw contradicting points between the two books.
 
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
 
He thought that Stephen King put too much emphasis on grammar. But he also said that the memoir at the beginning as very good and worth reading.

I liked the book and got some useful advice out of it. Frankly, I think the advice to be able to use grammar well and without thinking about it is good advice. While I hesitate to contradict OSC on his own site, I think the reason he doesn't see that as good advice is because he doens't have to think about grammar. I don't think OSC realizes that the words come to him with less effort than they come to other people.

And everyone's brain works differently. For some people King's book will be very useful.

I hated both of the Noah Lukeman books I read, but they work for other folks.
 


Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
 
The biography portion was very interesting.

I have a whole collection of like books. Having read several, I tend to put faith in the points that appear in more than one book.
 


Posted by djvdakota (Member # 2002) on :
 
Oh, heck. I'll just make it easy for you so you don't have to go digging around.

My favorites so far have been (besides OSC's two, which are excellent):

Self-editing for Fiction Writers by King and Browne

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress

And one that I consider more a book of wisdom and reassurance (writer's chocolate, if you will)that a how-to book:

The Writer's Mentor by Kathleen Rountree


 


Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
 
Just as OSC may not have as much trouble with grammar and therefore find King's advice regarding it overdone, King has a similar "blindness" due to his ability to create interesting characters.

Because King can do that, he doesn't realize that while his approach to writing, which is to put a character in an interesting situation and let things happen on their own, works for him, it may not work as well for someone who has a harder time creating interesting characters.

Whenever you read a "how-to-write" book by a successful author, you need to remember that the author will not be able to tell you how to do the things the author does automatically and without having to think about them.

So every "how-to-write" book by a successful author (and by any author, for that matter) needs to be read carefully with the idea in mind that there are things not mentioned because they are not a problem for the book's author. To overcome this, it might help to read "how-to-write" books by several VERY DIFFERENT authors; and hope that where they don't overlap, they are each covering material that the others do without thinking.
 




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