People Keep Recommending Writing Books!

Books on writing abound for the novice, mid-ground, and even the seasoned writer. Everywhere I turn, every workshop I attend, weekend course I take, or email from places like Writer’s Digest, my attention turns to another book which will help with my writing. I’m a book person, so wanting to learn more from others’ books is just natural. And I am happy that wonderful, knowledgeable people  have gone before and written about the experience to help me in  my journey.

For today’s post, I give you a few names on my desk waiting for me to get to them. Some are on my iPad2, others more visible because they’re  paper.  Whichever format you prefer, books will most likely help you.

The Writer’s Manifesto by Jeff Goins, short but interesting. His feed shows him to be a down-to-earth, helpful and knowledgeable guy. He’s just had a new baby and I love how he weaves his life experiences into writing tips without being the least bit maudlin.

20 High-Octane Book Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Tips by Judy Cullins. She is adept at using social media to further her business by giving away a lot of helpful books.

Write Away by Elizabeth George. I haven’t finished it yet but from what I’ve read and from her reputation as a successful author, it’s a must. Also she was on Barbara Kyle’s list of craft books from a recent workshop I did with Barbara, another successful author.

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Ironically, true to the implication in his title, Lukeman’s first chapter is the best here.

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. My good friend, Sharon Clare, first introduced me to Maass and I have digested his first three chapters to good advantage in planning my second book.

The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke.  I had to pick this up in a Victoria bookstore as I hear about the importance of openings so often. As yet, I haven’t actually read it. But soon.

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. The title is self-explanatory and since I’m trying desperately to break my pantser writing style in the hopes of having a tighter, more compact, and tighter novel, I bought it. For the flight home, I thought, but then I remembered the red-eye from Victoria and just tried to sleep. This one soon, too.

Practical Tips for Writing Popular Fiction by Robyn Carr. Somewhere I read about this book and decided I must have it. Online, I found it, used–I think it may be out of print–and it was waiting here for me when I got home. Don’t you just love having books in the mail? So this is a third title vying for my reading time. Dare I say it? Soon.

For a much longer list of more of the books I’ve accumulated, click on this earlier post.

As always, consider making your own contribution in the comments section. What is your favorite writing how-to book and why?