# Recommended Books on Writing



## Katastrof (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm thinking of buying a book on writing to help improve my skills. I know it's not a substitution for practice, but I feel like having one well help me fine tune my writing quicker. 

Anyways, I know _The Elements of Style_ is a crucial book to have but what other writing fiction books would you recommend?


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## dwellerofthedeep (Feb 7, 2008)

I like and have had others agree with me about _Elements of Fiction: Beginnings, Middles and Ends_ by Nancy Kress.  It really helped me with story structure over a longer work.


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## rumpole40k (Feb 7, 2008)

Try Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules Of Writing if you are looking to refine your personal writing style rather than develop it.


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## Katastrof (Feb 7, 2008)

Well I don't think it would hurt if I got a start-from-scratch book. I may not be a horrible writer but I am a humble person.


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## Michael (Feb 10, 2008)

_On Writing_ by Stephen King should be on everyone's bookshelf, regardless if you enjoy his works or not.  There aren't a lot of technical lessons, but it's very educational for anyone that aspires to write.


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## Eli Cash (Feb 10, 2008)

_On Writing Well_ by William Zissner


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## Buddy Glass (Feb 19, 2008)

Don't ever think, consider or opt to buy an academic book that tells your or - worse - teaches you how to write. Because the don't. Think about it; who do you think wrote them? Failed writers. Why did they fail? Well, it's all there in the book.

Read what real writers have to say about the matter. Hemingway, O'Connor, Carver, Rilke, Vargas Llosa - they've written insightful essays on aspects of creativity.


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## Tiamat (Feb 26, 2008)

Every agent, editor, and publisher that I've spoken to highly recommends _The First Five Pages_ by Noah Lukeman.


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## Mishki (Mar 6, 2008)

Buddy Glass said:


> Don't ever think, consider or opt to buy an academic book that tells your or - worse - teaches you how to write. Because the don't. Think about it; who do you think wrote them? Failed writers. Why did they fail? Well, it's all there in the book.



Stephen King, Robert McKee, and Francine Prose have written books on writing, and they're quite successful.  And even so, their books helped me a lot less than books by authors that I've never, ever heard of did.  Maybe teaching a subject well and knowing how perform it well aren't always inclusive of each other.

The book that taught me the most is James Scott Bell's _Plot and Structure_.


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## lemonavenue (Mar 6, 2008)

Here are the books I liked: 

The Writer's Book of Wisdom: 101 Rules for Mastering Your Craft by Steven Taylor Goldsberry
20 Master Plots and How to Build Them by Ronald B. Tobias
Character & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

I see Buddy's point about not studying these kinds of books. There's one rule I always follow when reading a book on writing: It's okay to break the rules, if you know why the rules exist. In fact writing is not about following rules at all. Writing is exploritory, it's personal. You may have a map but you can still defer off the beaten path if something interests you, and you should always be looking for other paths, other rules. Usually when a book or a person tells me not to write something the first thing I do is come up with a situation where the very thing they told me not to do would actually be appropreate. And I rarely fail in this avenue, unless the advice is something so fundamental such as simply taking time each day to write something.

My personal title for Goldsberry's book is "The Writer's Book of Wisdom: 101 Guidelines for Mastering Your Craft," but don't search Amazon for that title. That's just what I call it.


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## PageOfCups (Mar 23, 2008)

Does any one else get uncomfortable when it comes to these kinds of books? It just seems to me like it's kind of cheating. Not to mention intrusive, writing in most cases is a very intimate process and to me it just seems that those books butting in to me.


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## Tiamat (Mar 23, 2008)

Well then don't read them.  You have to realize, nowadays, there's how-to books on just about every subject, not because they're really helpful but because they'll sell.  People are a thousand times more comfortable reading how they should do something, rather than having a go at it and risking failure.

I'd bet my life savings that if the _Complete Idiot's _people wrote a book entitled_ Complete Idiot's Guide on How to Take a Proper Shite_ someone would buy it.

The point is if you feel better just diving in, then do it, but if you dive in and it doesn't work out the way you'd hoped, there's plenty of information out there to help you out.


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## chimchimski (Apr 8, 2008)

Well this thread is somewhat old now...however, if any newbies see this thread and decide to take a peek and discover a good book, my two choices are

*The Right to Write ~ Julia Cameron* _This book is great if you are a new writer and you are discovering your writing voice, or you are looking for inspiration and new ideas!  I love this book._

*The Art of Creative Writing ~ Lajos Egri* _Great for Character development, also, good for inspiration and motivation._


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## Lost in Some Story (Apr 8, 2008)

Buddy Glass said:


> Read what real writers have to say about the matter. Hemingway, O'Connor, Carver, Rilke, Vargas Llosa - they've written insightful essays on aspects of creativity.



I agree completely. Don't waste your time on the books in the "Writing" section of the bookstore. 

Flannery O'Connor's essays and lectures on writing are collected in a book called "Mystery and Manners." It is priceless and potent advice for any writer. I don't know about you, but I'd take O'Connor's advice over just about anyone else's. 

Lost


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## Swamp Thing (Apr 9, 2008)

Llosa - Letters to a Young Novelist


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## Flintenspiel (Apr 16, 2008)

PageOfCups said:


> Does any one else get uncomfortable when it comes to these kinds of books? It just seems to me like it's kind of cheating. Not to mention intrusive, writing in most cases is a very intimate process and to me it just seems that those books butting in to me.


 
I'm with you. I feel that as these books can give a good guideline, or some author's expertise, the writing really comes from within, and each author has their own way they do it. That's not to say that these books are useless, I have probably five on my bookshelf. But I look to them more as take it or leave it advice, not writing scripture.


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## SAHMAuthor (Apr 16, 2008)

I have two that I particularly like:

Write Away by Elizabeth George and How to Write and Sell Your First Novel by Oscar Collier and Frances Spatz Leighton.

I was looking for valuable tips on characterization and techniques for enhancing dramatics and building scene structure.  Both of these books had good insight and advice.


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## TJ Cruse (Apr 16, 2008)

I thought Sol Stein's - Stein on Writing was really good. Lots of practical advise and examples.

Tiamat10, let me know where to find that Idiot's Guide you were talking about. I fear I've been doing it wrong all these years


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## Deleted member 64995 (Nov 14, 2020)

Many people recommend the book
"Robert McKee Dialogue: the Art of Verbal Action for Stage, Page and Screen"
Is it a good book?


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## Pamelyn Casto (Dec 14, 2020)

TJ Cruse said:


> I thought Sol Stein's - Stein on Writing was really good. Lots of practical advise and examples.



I find some "how-to" books on writing as literary as some of the finest writing that's actually considered "literary." I adore about seven or eight such books that I've picked up over the years. Sol Stein's book is one of them. It's a delight to read. And to read again. And then to read at least once more. You can tell how much I value a book by the number of markings in the book (underlining, margin notes, page bending, starring, etc.). The books I love are in such bad shape no one else would want them. Yes, Stein's book is definitely worth exploring.


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## escorial (Dec 14, 2020)

Aspects of the Novel..EMF


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## Deleted member 64995 (May 24, 2021)

I found that Robert McKee has written a new book:
Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen By Robert Mckee
Has anyone read it?


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## Theglasshouse (May 24, 2021)

I was tempted just like you to get it. It releases tomorrow. I decided instead to get Propp's Morphology of the folktale, which helped me finish my story. It's a very good book to read when writer's block is something you are experiencing. Other books I got were how to improvise a full-length play by Kenn Adams (i think. It taught me to improve my dialogue, and it helps with plotting). I also ordered a book on description that won't arrive until 1 week from now which uses the standards taught in the curriculum from high school. I also got creating characters by Marissa d' Vari (only costs 5 dollars) and it is a very good book.


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## Turnbull (May 31, 2021)

I don't generally read writer's books.  They usually say things that are wrong, obvious, subjective, or only concerning grammar/punctuation.  I once picked up a book on gun research for writers, but frankly I was better off buying a gun book for real gun owners.  Books by experts are generally better than books by writing researchers.  

That being said, books about the publishing industry I like.  77 Reasons Why your Book was Rejected is a good read.


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## Theglasshouse (May 31, 2021)

That is understandable and I know why most people probably think this way. Most craft books and how-to books (the grand majority)  by professional writers and academics don't show you how to write a story. I have always wanted to write a much faster draft (because of the vast amount of time I spend editing and proofreading a story when it is finished). Only a few helpful books inspire me to plot, such as a book called the morphology of the folk tale (a book that summarizes the plot in hundreds of fairy tales). The second main category of craft books I buy only teaches particular skills such as journaling and observation to write what is inside a picture to describe the writer's surroundings. As of this writing at this very moment, learning specific skills of the craft is why I am buying them these books to learn specific skills. Writers can write in journals as a starting point for a plot. The writer can base the plot on some event that had the most meaning for them during the day they wrote in a journal.​​The elements of a story are often wrongly defined in craft books, such as conflict. Because basic definitions of concepts such as conflict contradict each other you don't know who has the correct information (conflict can have more than 5 different definitions) or the wrong information when starting out buying these books. If someone reads 5 different craft books, it could have conflicting information. For the most part, craft books are very similar in the way they approach things.  There are so many different opinions on how to write a story that is contradictory. It is just wrong because these can be vague and don't define basic terms of the craft of what they are explaining, for instance, how to be inspired. You end up confused after them more than you thought could have been possible. I avoid these sorts of craft books which are the vast majority being sold nowadays.​​Learning specific skills or how to be inspired is what I am looking to attain as knowledge from craft books. The next books I will purchase are observing and writing down what I see in a picture or front of me and how to journal. I lack confidence in describing what I see. However,  Prop's morphology of a folk tale inspires. It's full of plot possibilities. You can write a plot based on an old fairy tale's plot. Morphology was written by an academic of Harvard, I think, many years ago. I based a plot on something a character lost. That can be anything. The inspiration came from the morphology of the folk tale as the prompt, but I was the writer.​


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## Theglasshouse (Jun 3, 2021)

I found a new favorite book today. This one is a cheap resource. I bought a second book. I read the Kindle book, and I am impressed by the techniques.

How to be a Fantastic Writer
Danuta Reah, Penny Grubb, Monkey Designs
Kindle Edition
5 dollars. It has a lot of "techniques" to increase tension. Conflict is one of those things it doesn't define, but it gives you ideas on how to add it. I have a Kindle, so I am using the Kindle edition. I had some plot issues with my story that I will correct with this.


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## Theglasshouse (Jun 3, 2021)

I can't recommend this book yet. I liked the preview. However, I will mention it just in case anyone wants to preview the book. It's a how to guide to writing better characters. Because the topic has to do with literary writing.

Write Moves: A Creative Writing Guide and Anthology​It's expensive for me at least, so I bought it used. It should arrive 3 weeks from today.


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## MelinaTheWriter (Jul 5, 2021)

I can strongly recommend "Writing down the bones" by Natalie Goldberg. It is an excellent book about writing in relation to life and spirituality. So many things the author talks about resonated with me, felt true and inspired me and I can safely say it is the best, most in-depth book about writing I have read so far. Definitely one of my favourite books.


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## HarleyAutumn (Mar 10, 2022)

I'm a big fan of Stephen King's book On Writing. It's practical AND entertaining. I've recently found this article from the BBC and working through some of the books on there too - https://www.bbcmaestro.com/blog/best-writing-books-for-beginners

Sometimes I feel like I spend more time reading about writing than I do actually writing, oops!


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## PrairieHostage (Mar 10, 2022)

HarleyAutumn said:


> I'm a big fan of Stephen King's book On Writing. It's practical AND entertaining. I've recently found this article from the BBC and working through some of the books on there too - https://www.bbcmaestro.com/blog/best-writing-books-for-beginners
> 
> Sometimes I feel like I spend more time reading about writing than I do actually writing, oops!


Thanks for the BBC link. Save The Cat is on my list of must reads too. 

I just bought Lisa Cron's Wired For Story: The Writer's Guide to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence.


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## Theglasshouse (Mar 10, 2022)

I use to spend a lot of money on craft books. I have since then vowed to take writing classes. The best self-paced one supposedly is masterclass.  I recommend classes over books. I have almost any book including Lisa Cron's wired for story and her other book. It didn't inspire me. You could find a book that speaks to you on the writing process. So few are well written. You can't even read a good chunk of the book for free. That's the problem with books on writing. I use to buy 6-7 books a month on craft. But then I realized I wasn't learning much. So be cautious and careful of what you buy. I became cynical concerning writing books in general. I hope there is a truth concerning this. There are many fake reviews of books. IMO a professional writer has to recommend one to persuade me to buy one. Craft books are cheap which is the allure of buying them, but however they become expensive in the long run. I have an entire library of craft books and grammar books. It is also a bad way to learn since learning styles are important. People learn better by writing exercises and assessment and evaluation.


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## Pamelyn Casto (Mar 10, 2022)

Some craft books are indeed mostly worthless. It's best to be careful which ones get purchased. At the same time, there are also some highly inspiring craft books that make me want to stay busy with my writing and keep learning new things about the not-easy-to-master art. Yes, get personal recommendations from people who know what you're looking for and who can help you get it.


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## Maelgwynn (Sep 12, 2022)

I like Lawrence Block on writing, as much for the biographical stories and general chatter as for specific writing advice. There are four books collecting his columns for Writer’s Digest, plus Writing the Novel From Plot to Print, the most straightforward and least interesting of the five.


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## M J Tennant 2022 (Oct 9, 2022)

How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman is really good.  After reading the third chapter, I was unpleasantly surprised to realise that most of the content illustrated the mistakes I'd unknowingly make on a daily basis!  Bummer.  Made me a better writer though.  M J x


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## Mullanphy (Oct 12, 2022)

Having read more than my fair share of writing how-to books, magazines, pamphlets, blogs and, yes, I admit, watching YouTube videos, I've discovered that I need simpler instructions.

So, my go-to how-to is _How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method_ by Randy Ingermanson, Theoretical Physicist (PhD), popular science fiction author, and a guy really good at explaining things.  

When I first saw the title I thought it was about writing right wing political speeches.


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## Theglasshouse (Oct 12, 2022)

I have often recommended books to people.  Will dunne's the dramatic writing's companion is the best book on craft I have come across (1st edition). I believe this so much I have one book as a text file which I have managed to convert from the physical book. If you really want to learn from it and have dyslexia the font is tiny and impossible to read for us. However, I use scrivener to zoom the text 175%. I will convert his other books from my own private use to digital files. The need to answer the questions means this book was really meant to be used as a text file. There are many questions to answer and strategies to try out. Since it is not on sale as a text file I recommend people use a scanner from a copyshop if they have dyslexia. It's tiring on the eyes to read on a kindle.

Today it got me thinking about starting a story. I need to do more research though to make it really work. I need the facts about some questions regarding the plot of the short story I brainstormed.


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## Arsenex (Oct 12, 2022)

Mullanphy said:


> Having read more than my fair share of writing how-to books, magazines, pamphlets, blogs and, yes, I admit, watching YouTube videos, I've discovered that I need simpler instructions.
> 
> So, my go-to how-to is _How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method_ by Randy Ingermanson, Theoretical Physicist (PhD), popular science fiction author, and a guy really good at explaining things.
> 
> When I first saw the title I thought it was about writing right wing political speeches.


Randy is a good guy. He joined a writing group I had been in for years. His daughter did proof reading for me for a while. I never read his books, though. Was too busy writing.


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## ManinMauve (Oct 14, 2022)

_A Writer's Workbook by Caroline Sharp.
Writing Character, Writing Dialogue, Writing Action, Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Writing Comedy, et al from The San Francisco Writers' Grotto._

I adore any writing books that provide prompts and activities to work through. It helps me to get creative, while also being able to check through a few pieces of advice.


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