# The Usefulness of Books on Writing



## tabasco5 (Jun 21, 2014)

Given the never-ending dialogue on the usefulness of writing books I figured I would throw in my two pennies on the subject.  Having read a handful and browsed hundred, I cannot offer any conclusion as to whether the information contained within them has merit, but I can say what they are good for in my experience.  Inspiration.  What I mean by inspiration is that by reading books on writing I get motivated to get moving and get on track and build the steam back up.  Several things can do this for me - talking with an old friend, browsing WF, talking with another writer - but for some reason, reading books on writing moves me the most.

So the discussion on whether or not to read or listen to books on writing can continue.  However, if you are in a slump and need some boosting, reading a little in the writing genre may help you out.


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## BryanJ62 (Jul 19, 2014)

*Some books I have read create a blueprint on how to start. I fought this for a long time until I came across one (the title escapes me) where it told the would be writer to create an outline before the actual writing. For some this process doesn't work but for me it is the reason I write today. I think these books only work if they fit your style of writing or make you think of new ways to improve.*


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## tabasco5 (Jul 19, 2014)

I went to the library last week and picked up four books on writing with the intention of reading one.  I wound up reading all four and feel like I learned a great deal about the craft of writing, editing, and using words with clear intent.  I now highly recommend reading these craft/technique books--the worst that happens is you disagree.


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## Morkonan (Jul 19, 2014)

I think good books on writing are incredibly illuminating for those fairly new to the topic, even very well-read writers. But, bad ones... are terrible and cause more problems than they're worth.


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## Greimour (Jul 20, 2014)

Morkonan said:


> I think good books on writing are incredibly illuminating for those fairly new to the topic, even very well-read writers. But, bad ones... are terrible and cause more problems than they're worth.



Which is why I am often hesitant. Bad ones confuse, delude and patronize. I fell victim to believing everything I read... but eventually I did realize I could just ignore it if it didn't work for me. I have found that every book on writing I have read had at least _something_ worth reading or listening to.


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## bookmasta (Jul 20, 2014)

Even though I haven't read it, Stephen's Kings book on writing is pretty good from what everyone tells me.


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## escorial (Jul 20, 2014)

knowledge is a good thing..the more you got the more confident you might get


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## Morkonan (Jul 20, 2014)

bookmasta said:


> Even though I haven't read it, Stephen's Kings book on writing is pretty good from what everyone tells me.



It is inspiring. It's not a treatise on "How To's", but a semi-biographical work of inspiration for fellow writers. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't chock-full of mechanical advice. It's a great book to read, nonetheless - Inspiration is nine-tenths of perspiration, or something like that...  



			
				Greymour said:
			
		

> .. I have found that every book on writing I have read had at least _something_ worth reading or listening to.



I agree, but some are of much more limited value than others. I have, unfortunately, come across books on writing (Or that profess such a lofty ambition) that don't appear to have much merit in that regard. Strangely enough, a couple are frequently mentioned by others who write books on writing. I guess it's a marketing thing.


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## Ride the Pen (Jul 23, 2014)

I see what you are saying there, _good_ books on writing are one of the things that motivate me most as well. I always thought that's exactly _because_ they are dry theory: Nothing juicy in there! Reading philosophy motivates me a lot too, my brain starts working and builds the highest skyscrapers on top of that dusty theory.

Our creative brains long for something juicy when reading this stuff, I believe that's the reason!

Unfortunately, I find really good books on writing hard to come by. After you have established a certain basic knowledge, it's all about doing it: Read and write as much as you can! Like with any skill, only practice makes you god, I mean good.


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## TKent (Aug 10, 2014)

I decided I wanted to write fiction fairly recently and I've been gobbling up books on the subject ever since.  But that's just the way I do things. One of those books I read suggested blogging as a way to practice writing. Here is my blog entry on books I recommend and why. 

I love to read the instructions.  (There, I’ve said it.)

My bookshelves are filled with how to’s–relationships, parenting, drawing, web design, photography, tennis, French Bull dogs–instruction books for everything. I wouldn’t trade a single one of them either; studying a subject is half the fun for me.

Fiction writing (my latest passion) is no exception. The bookshelf is now virtual, but it is filled with great books on the craft. Some have taught me technique, and others have provided motivation. All have been extremely helpful in some way.

So if you are a new writer, or just enjoy reading the instructions as much as I do, here are the books that have helped me the most:

Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School  I read this book first and did the exercises. It was a great _big picture_ book for learning key concepts.  I really liked that it changed the way I read fiction. It is pretty empowering to go from “I just know I like it” to “I liked it because…”

Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way To Success – K.M. Weiland Going from key concepts to the overwhelming task of putting together an outline for an entire story was a big jump for me. It was made harder for me because I want to find the perfect process when sometimes, you need to just dive in and learn as you go. But being who I am, this book really helped me get going. I loved the suggestions to write as much as you know about a particular scene–sort of a brain dump that you can come back to later. I was able to move forward even though I didn’t know every detail yet.

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story – K. M. Weiland I stayed on the K.M. Weiland train and read her book on structuring your novel. This was invaluable as it helped me mark the milestones I needed in my plot. She also goes into scenes, sequels which were very useful. In general, I found K.M. Weiland’s books very easy to follow and extremely useful.

Elements of Fiction Writing: Scene and Structure – Jack Bickham I hate to revert to the teen-aged girl who is still firmly planted inside my middle-aged body but … OMG! This book was incredible. Granted by the time I read it, I had read tons on the subject and outlined and started writing my novel, so I realize that my ability to comprehend the material was more advanced, but I really had not fully understood the scene and sequel concepts until this book. The author said it in a way that I got it–immediately. It was truly a lightbulb moment for me.

Write Your Novel from the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers, and Everyone in Between – James Scott Bell This author gave me a name for my approach to writing: I am a plotter through and through. He also wrote a book that helped more than any other in working out my plot points and overall scene structure. I got the initial idea for my novel over six months ago. The beginning and end of the story were clear to me from day one. The middle, well, that’s a different story altogether. Sure, I’d read a bunch of books on the subject (haha) and I’d sort of worked out a plan, but it still felt like a big sloppy mess in the middle. Not anymore. I found my mirror moment and used his incredible approach to working from the middle. Within a few weeks I had reworked my outline, eliminated a bunch of unnecessary scenes, and finally feel like I have a tight, cohesive story. I’m now writing, writing, writing!

Techniques of the Selling Writer – Dwight V. Swain Writing a novel is not easy. At least not for me. I definitely need a good helping of encouragement and motivation along the way. This book was exactly what I needed. Crazy as it sounds, Dwight convinced me that I needed to write my book even if it is bad! That’s the only way I’ll get better.  It was freeing, and I shot from 5000 completed words to a little over 10,000 in a couple of weeks. And something about the 10,000 mark felt _so_ different than 5,000. Can I do 10,000 eight more times and finish a novel? I think I can. This book has so much truly great information, I really don’t know where to start. I saw it mentioned by a published writer who said if you only buy one book on writing, be sure it is this one. Best suggestion ever.

Self publishing: My Rules to Staying Alive and Making Money – Tara Brown I am a big fan of Tara Brown’s books. So I happened upon this one by visiting her Amazon page to see if she’d published anything new. Finishing my first draft is still in the distant future, so I am not sure why I read this book now versus later. But wow, I’m glad I did. So many great tips on making money, marketing yourself, staying out of trouble. And since I really like her books, I got a big kick out of learning a little more about her personality. It really shines through in this book.


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## Kyle R (Aug 10, 2014)

Great books in there, Kent. I own each of the ones you mentioned (except the _Gotham_ and _Self-publishing _ones, so I can't speak for those). The others, though, are worth every penny, and I agree with your recommendations.

Also I'd like to add in there:

Debra Dixon's _Goal, Motivation, Conflict_
Jill Nelson's _Rivet your Readers with Deep POV
_Blake Snyder's _Save the Cat! _series
Jeff Gerke's _Plot versus Character
_Larry Brook's _Story Engineering

:encouragement:_


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## TKent (Aug 10, 2014)

Looking forward to these:



> Debra Dixon's _Goal, Motivation, Conflict_
> Jill Nelson's _Rivet your Readers with Deep POV
> Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! series
> Jeff Gerke's Plot versus Character
> Larry Brook's Story Engineering_


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## dvspec (Aug 10, 2014)

I picked one up recently that is my favorite so far.  Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Maass and Telling Lies for Fun and Profit by Lawrence Block.


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## Morkonan (Aug 11, 2014)

TKent said:


> ...Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School  I read this book first and did the exercises. It was a great _big picture_ book for learning key concepts.  I really liked that it changed the way I read fiction. It is pretty empowering to go from “I just know I like it” to “I liked it because…”




I wasn't really thrilled with it. IIRC, it's a collection of essays, basically. IIRC, there's an in depth look at a short story, at the end, with all sorts of knowledgeable commentary. It was OK, with a couple of interesting points. But, there wasn't anything in that book that I could say wasn't to be found in a much easier "teaching" format. In fact, because of its somewhat disconnected nature, I'd not recommend it to anyone as a "first book" on writing. (Writing the Breakout Novel, by Maass, would be my suggestion for "firsts. It's got a great format.)



> Write Your Novel from the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers, and Everyone in Between – James Scott Bell This author gave me a name for my approach to writing: I am a plotter through and through. He also wrote a book that helped more than any other in working out my plot points and overall scene structure. I got the initial idea for my novel over six months ago. The beginning and end of the story were clear to me from day one. The middle, well, that’s a different story altogether. Sure, I’d read a bunch of books on the subject (haha) and I’d sort of worked out a plan, but it still felt like a big sloppy mess in the middle. Not anymore. I found my mirror moment and used his incredible approach to working from the middle. Within a few weeks I had reworked my outline, eliminated a bunch of unnecessary scenes, and finally feel like I have a tight, cohesive story. I’m now writing, writing, writing!




Interesting. I haven't read this Bell book, but have read all his other books on fiction writing. (At least until about a year or two ago. I don't actively hunt those shelves any longer, but I do browse them for interesting titles, every now and then.)  I'll have to pick it up. Anything by Bell or Maas is good stuff, in my opinion, sight unseen.


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## dvspec (Aug 12, 2014)

Mork, I've gone through the thread twice trying to figure out what you are calling IIRC.  Could you clarify?


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## Dubhthaigh (Aug 12, 2014)

I wouldn't read a book on writing myself, I don't think it'd have much of a baring on me. I'd find it too clinical and drab.
I'd much prefer to better myself by posting some work and having it completely scathed on by a few sharp-tongued critics, that's the only thing that could motivate me to do better.


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## TKent (Aug 12, 2014)

I will have to try this one!



> (Writing the Breakout Novel, by Maass, would be my suggestion for "firsts. It's got a great format.)


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## Morkonan (Aug 12, 2014)

dvspec said:


> Mork, I've gone through the thread twice trying to figure out what you are calling IIRC.  Could you clarify?



I'm sorry. It's abbreviated shorthand for "*I*f *I* *R*ecall *C*orrectly."


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## TKent (Aug 13, 2014)

Okay!!  I learned something new today!



Morkonan said:


> I'm sorry. It's abbreviated shorthand for "*I*f *I* *R*ecall *C*orrectly."


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## garza (Aug 14, 2014)

Since starting to write fiction I've read several books about how to write. About a third of what I've read is what I learned about writing in general after a 60 year career as a non-fiction writer. Another third was useful information that I'd already learned here. The last third was nonsense. 

One book did prove to be useful. It was a heavy hardbound volume for which I had a lady friend make a nice embroidered cover. I gave it as a gift to be used as a doorstop. A heavy thesaurus can be turned into something useful in the same way.


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## want2learn (Aug 23, 2014)

tabasco5 said:


> I went to the library last week and picked up four books on writing with the intention of reading one.  I wound up reading all four and feel like I learned a great deal about the craft of writing, editing, and using words with clear intent.  I now highly recommend reading these craft/technique books--the worst that happens is you disagree.



I was just wondering what you would recommend for a new writer, and when I write new writer I mean
Not in terms of writing a book or anything of that sort but a newbie trying to improve her writing with stories and that sort ?

Thanks.


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## EmmaSohan (Aug 24, 2014)

Hi want2learn. If you reread this thread, there are a number of suggestions for what people liked. And you can use the internet; this forum alone probably has more advice than anyone could read.

And like people say here, some of the advice is not good, and some won't be useful to you. You have to write. You have to read your own writing and see what you like and what you don't like. Then you can read the advice and see if anything is useful to you.


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## tabasco5 (Aug 25, 2014)

want2learn said:


> I was just wondering what you would recommend for a new writer, and when I write new writer I mean
> Not in terms of writing a book or anything of that sort but a newbie trying to improve her writing with stories and that sort ?
> 
> Thanks.



1. On Writing Well by Zinsser
2. The Elements of Style by Strunk & White


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## Theglasshouse (Aug 30, 2014)

These books are focused on plot:
Gotham's writer's worKshop: writing fiction, immediate fiction: a complete writing course, the story within plot guide for novelists. I also recommend karl iglesias's book even though people might think he is a hack. That focuses on charter traits. I plan to pick up one more book. There are not many good ones out there. But I have almost all the ones kyle colorado mentioned which are okay in my opinion.


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## Seedy M. (Sep 2, 2014)

All these books are very good for the mechanics and basic flow and so forth. Remember that you can read every book ever written about playing the violin. You will still not be able to play the violin.
Like the violin, it takes practice. When you do your first accomplished solo, you will find you have to use, first and foremost, an ability, then the insertions of those books into the practice. Too many today are working from a position lacking that first necessity. They would be excellent copyreaders, even editors, as the violinist would be a good teacher, but will never be a virtuoso.


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## TKent (Sep 2, 2014)

I'm finding the more I write the more I actually understand what I read about writing


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## Threak 17 (Sep 5, 2014)

Stephen King's, On Writing: A Memoir On The Craft is the best book I've read on the subject.  Practical & inspirational.


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## Theglasshouse (Sep 12, 2014)

I came across Will Dunne's book today, and thought many of the sections of the book would earn a recommendation from many people including me. I especially like the causing a scene section of the book. if you are very frustrated, this one you should open when you start the writing process.


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## wrebelle (Sep 21, 2014)

I do find it ironic that the authors of some of these books have never had a book published until they wrote a book about how to get published.


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## voltigeur (Sep 22, 2014)

I purchased a used copy of The Essential Guide to Writing a Novel (It was in surprisingly good condition.) I chose it because: hey I'm writing a novel and the title was right on point.

It has really helped me because after just a few beta reads it became evident I didn't know my butt from a hole in the ground about what I was doing. Fortunately I got some constructive feed back from an English major that broke down my mechanical mistakes. 
I was told to keep at it because there was some good stuff going for me. Characters were strong, dialog felt natural, and the story lines are compelling. But I would never get near a publishing house if I didn't address my mechanical issues.

That is when I read this book. It has saved a lot of grief, I read a couple of chapters then look at scenes I've written and can see my mistakes.

In my critique group the issues are getting smaller and smaller. I also have a better feel for when to let some criticisms go by the way side. (Usually it is a fantasy writer not understanding the scope of Historical epic fiction.) 


That is when I read this book. It has saved a lot of grief, I read a couple of chapters then look at scenes I've sritten and can see my mistakes. 

In my critique group the issues are getting smaller and smaller. I also have a better feel for when to let some critisizms


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## Phil Istine (Dec 14, 2014)

bookmasta said:


> Even though I haven't read it, Stephen's Kings book on writing is pretty good from what everyone tells me.



Yes, I read this very recently.  I found it quite inspirational.  It left me with the feeling that if I persevere, I can become a better writer.  I also went through some things I had written and deleted the adverbs.  So now I have a copy with them and a copy without them.  Stephen King could be one of his own characters - stalking authors who use adverbs and giving them lethal injections.


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## J Anfinson (Dec 14, 2014)

When I first started writing I began collecting "how to" books, and I now have somewhere around twenty lying around. I can't say I haven't learned a few things from them, but the thing I've found new writers need to be careful of is, when you're taking in all that information it's easy to become obsessed with avoiding adverbs and stuff like that. When you become too obsessed with making sure your first draft is as good as possible, you wind up forgetting how to just tell the story and get it finished. That's something I struggle with now.


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## Bloggsworth (Dec 14, 2014)

There are no useful books on writing unless _you_ find them useful...


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## BryanJ62 (Dec 14, 2014)

J Anfinson said:


> _*When I first started writing I began collecting "how to" books, and I now have somewhere around twenty lying around. I can't say I haven't learned a few things from them, but the thing I've found new writers need to be careful of is, when you're taking in all that information it's easy to become obsessed with avoiding adverbs and stuff like that. When you become too obsessed with making sure your first draft is as good as possible, you wind up forgetting how to just tell the story and get it finished. That's something I struggle with now.[/*_QUOTE]
> 
> *Exactly. If you love to create a story and you never stop doing it, in time you will become good at it. But, if you find a book that works for you, perfect. I wish I could think of the book that helped me get started. I took a writing class many years ago and the teacher suggested it. I found it at a used book store and it worked. At least it worked for me. But my feeling overall is, the more you follow a how-to book the more you are taking a lot of 'you' out of the craft. Where's the fun in that?*


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## Caragula (Dec 15, 2014)

I always wish I read more of these books, but when I do, I start questioning everything I'm doing and get paralysed.  They introduce doubt not clarity.  I pick up nuggets of good info, but worry that I'm changing what I've written because someone told me, not because it was better per se.

This suggests that if I can't tell whether advice will improve the story or not I should just leave it on the shelf, to reference if I'm stuck later, but I then burn time fretting.


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