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I have quite a few, some I've found really useful (On Writing by Stephen King is a fave), some I've dipped into and some have sat unopened on my shelf for a substantial length of time!
What are your favourites?
Which ones do you recommend and why?
And which ones are a waste of time?
Comments
As I mostly write short stories I found Della Galtons Book, How to Write and Sell Short Stories one of the best. If I'm looking for inspiration the What If book of writing exercises always comes to hand.
I hope this is helpful.
And also Della's 'Love Writing- How to Make Money Writing Romantic and Erotic Fiction.' Takes you through al the things that are important and how to shape the work.
And Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance'. Stage by stage with excercises at the end of each chapter.
I'm pretty sure they all say more or less the same thing, but in a different way. Bit like the articles in the writing mags.
Yet I like re-reading all my old writing mags. I like going over stuff I already know, as there's no harm in a refresher course methinks.
In general I'd agree, but I still found it useful in clarifying areas I thought I understood, but hadn't completely (at the time of buying it).
Well, as I subscribe to writing mags, I'm probably covered...
Stein's book is packed with practical information for fiction and non-fiction writers and is worth a hundred of King's which I've read twice and still don't understand why people think it's a great book for writers. :rolleyes:
Definitely agree with this too-it's a valid point. I bought them all when I started so have quite a few-but apart from 'On Writing' and 'So you Want To Be a Writer' by Jane Wenham Jones most of them are rather useless. Some good exercises but generally just a bit 'Look at Me' type books.
I realised that when it comes down to it you just have go with your own 'gut' feelings. However I'm really struggling at the moment with confidence issues, I keep mulling over who wants to read what I'm writing and I'm sure everyone feels like this occasionally so reading how other's have done it seems a a bit like rubbing salt in etc etc.
'On Writing' is just a different kind of book and it is inspiring when you're feeling down.
Actually-I think I'll go and get it out again now and have a re-read ;)
Edited this post because I just opened 'Advice to Writers' on Twitter and saw this
http://www.advicetowriters.com/home/2012/8/14/fear-stops-most-people-from-writing.html
Thank you for the recommendation :)
I need to redo this page on my new blog, but the information still holds good, if it interests you TN.
http://fiona-maddock.blogspot.co.uk/p/writers-reference-shelf.html
This does sound useful
Do you have any more information on this book? I've done a search but many come up.
Actually, apart from my recently-started WN writing course and the Stephen King book mentioned above I am bereft of writing books - so that means I can go and buy doesn't it :)
Gardening books, on the other hand, are in far too plentiful supply over here are Warren' Rest
I'm just at the point of the poison ivy .....ouch!!
Is that before or after the electro magnet, that did sound like fun!
I also had 'The five-minute writer' recommended to me, and it has just arrived in the post today. The blurb on the back says that the author, Margaret Geraghty, wrote a monthly column for Writing Magazine and Writers' News for 12 years. Each chapter has a writing-related discussion, followed by a five-minute exercise. I thought it would be a great incentive to write every day, with no excuses! Has anyone else read it/used it?
Yes, I got this, Debby. It's OK, some good advice, but in the end I wondered why I was spending my time doing exercises instead of actually writing a story. Haven't picked it up for a while now.
Thanks, Tunna. That's a fair point. My problem is that, since I started writing short stories and flash fiction pieces last year, I've always done so from a 'prompt' - whether a competition theme, or the OWC, etc.
I'm hoping that the five-minute exercises (which include things like; viewing everyday items in a different light, tapping into memories, making lists, rewriting cliches, to name but a few) inspire me to think 'outside the box'. Maybe get the creative juices flowing, hopefully resulting in me coming up with stories that I might not otherwise have written. That's the hope anyway.... :)
I am Amazoning as we type
[quote=tunna]but in the end I wondered why I was spending my time doing exercises instead of actually writing a story. Haven't picked it up for a while now.[/quote]
This makes a lot of sense, but I'm still new and doubting myself
[quote= Debby]rewriting cliches,[/quote]
Not sure I get this?
[quote=Tiny Nell] How else am I to pick one from all those mentioned?![/quote]
Do like I am and pick 'em all ;)
My son's partner bought it for me. It does encourage me to write more and I have used it to help with an exercise when it is my turn to take our writing group.
Just had a look, BM. Yes, nice one. Thanks for that. I don't know that it's universally true, though. Some of us get by by digging out what resists being written.
Tiny Nell, HOLD EVERYTHING. There is one book you must get. It's probably useful only to writers who are well versed and can tell when a metaphor would work better than a simile, but if you want to write a good novel, it's a MUST (IMHO). It's not available on Kindle but it is on Amazon. It's blue and red and it's very very good, and it's called 'Solutions for Writers' by Sol Stein. It worked particularly well for me because I had already written a novel and had a blueprint to measure his advice against. So I sat in coffee shops and condensed it to notes, thinking on every page: Yes, oh yesssss, that's right, I'll do that.
The only trouble now is there are only 24 hours in a day, 16 of which are taken up with pesky duties, so progress is frustrating. Imagine Michelangelo looking up in the Sistine Chapel with every scaffold and ladder put into storage, knowing with an ache in his gut what he would add to his half finished ceiling.
I recommend this book.
*grips tightly and watches knuckles turn white*
He also wrote a follow-up called 'Solutions for Novelists', which I've just started. Pretty good so far.
*hears cracking noise in palm of hand and watches slime dribble between curled fingers*
When seriously pi**ed, while on a long weekend in Bruge, I purchased a felt hat with a wide floppy brim, which, in my seriously pi**ed state I thought would enhance my appearance and hopefully somehow endow me with a literary aura. Unfortunately it poured with rain and the damn thing shrank and ended up looking like a pork pie on an elephant's arse
I was lucky enough to get a very cheap copy on ebay a while ago. One day I might get around to reading it.
Hilarious!
The things we writers do, all in the name of art...
http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/improve-my-writing/breakout-novelist