Books on Novel/Fiction Writing
THE ABSOLUTE BEST BOOK THAT ANY WRITER CAN BUY (whether you are a screenwriter, novelist, short story writer, etc.): The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition by Christopher Vogler
Writing Fiction For Dummies by Randy Ingermanson
A complete guide to writing and selling your novelSo you want to write a novel? Great! That’s a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don’t settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you’ll learn in Writing Fiction for Dummies:
- Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.
- Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.
- Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.
- Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
Written in a clear, crisp, accessible style, this book is perfect for beginners as well as professional writers who need a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of storytelling. Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.
An international bestseller, How to Write a Damn Good Novel will enable all writers to face that intimidating first page, keep them on track when they falter, and help them recognize, analyze, and correct the problems in their own work.
An international bestseller, How to Write a Damn Good Novel will enable all writers to face that intimidating first page, keep them on track when they falter, and help them recognize, analyze, and correct the problems in their own work.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II: Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling
"Damn good" fiction is dramatic fiction, Frey insists, whether it is by Hemingway or Grisham, Le Carre or Ludlum, Austen or Dickens. Despite their differences, these authors' works share common elements: strong narrative lines, fascinating characters, steadily building conflicts, and satisfying conclusions. Frey's How to Write a Damn Good Novel is one of the most widely used guides ever published for aspiring authors. Here, in How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II, Frey offers powerful advanced techniques to build suspense, create fresher, more interesting characters, and achieve greater reader sympathy, empathy, and identification.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II also warns against the pseudo-rules often inflicted upon writers, rules such as "The author must always be invisible" and "You must stick to a single viewpoint in a scene," which cramp the imagination and deaden the narrative. Frey focuses instead on promises that the author makes to the reader—promises about character, narrative voice, story type, and so on, which must be kept if the reader is to be satisfied. This book is rich, instructive, honest, and often tellingly funny about the way writers sometimes fail their readers and themselves.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II also warns against the pseudo-rules often inflicted upon writers, rules such as "The author must always be invisible" and "You must stick to a single viewpoint in a scene," which cramp the imagination and deaden the narrative. Frey focuses instead on promises that the author makes to the reader—promises about character, narrative voice, story type, and so on, which must be kept if the reader is to be satisfied. This book is rich, instructive, honest, and often tellingly funny about the way writers sometimes fail their readers and themselves.
Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) by James Scott Bell
Craft an Engaging PlotHow does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course?
With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including:
Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.
With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including:
- Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and ends
- Easy-to-understand plotting diagrams and charts
- Brainstorming techniques for original plot ideas
- Thought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapter
- Story structure models and methods for all genres
- Tips and tools for correcting common plot problems
Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.
20 Master Plots
Give your story a solid foundation—a plot that engages readers from start to finish! The best stories linger in the hearts and minds of readers for decades. These tales gain their power through plots that connect with the audience on both an emotional and intellectual level.
Inside Ronald B. Tobias details these 20 time-tested plots. Each is discussed and analyzed, illustrating how a successful plot integrates all the elements of a story.
Give your story a solid foundation—a plot that engages readers from start to finish! The best stories linger in the hearts and minds of readers for decades. These tales gain their power through plots that connect with the audience on both an emotional and intellectual level.
Inside Ronald B. Tobias details these 20 time-tested plots. Each is discussed and analyzed, illustrating how a successful plot integrates all the elements of a story.
The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby
John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood’s most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Great Screenwriting, The Anatomy of Story draws on a broad range of philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby’s own unique approach to building an effective, multifaceted narrative.
Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan Rosenfeld
In Make a Scene, author Jordan E. Rosenfeld takes you through the fundamentals of strong scene construction and explains how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character, plot, and dramatic tension, must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story. You'll learn how to:
- Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows supporting scenes
- Develop various scene types - from the suspenseful to the dramatic to the contemplative - that are distinct and layered
- Tailor character and plot around specific scene types to better convey the nuances of your storyline
- Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your work
Write Great Fiction - Dialogue by Gloria Kempton
Craft Compelling DialogueWhen should your character talk, what should (or shouldn't) he say, and when should he say it? How do you know when dialogue--or the lack thereof--is dragging down your scene? How do you fix a character who speaks without the laconic wit of the Terminator?
Write Great Fiction: Dialogue by successful author and instructor Gloria Kempton has the answers to all of these questions and more! It's packed with innovative exercises and instruction designed to teach you how to:
Write Great Fiction: Dialogue by successful author and instructor Gloria Kempton has the answers to all of these questions and more! It's packed with innovative exercises and instruction designed to teach you how to:
- Create dialogue that drives the story
- Weave dialogue with narrative and action
- Write dialogue that fits specific genres
- Avoid the common pitfalls of writing dialogue
- Make dialogue unique for each character
Description & Setting: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Believable World of People, Places, and Events by Ron Rozelle
Build a Believable WorldHow essential is setting to a story? How much description is too much? In what ways do details and setting tie into plot and character development? How can you use setting and description to add depth to your story?
You can find all the answers you need in Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting by author and instructor Ron Rozelle. This nuts-and-bolts guide - complete with practical exercises at the end of each chapter - gives you all the tips and techniques you need to:
You can find all the answers you need in Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting by author and instructor Ron Rozelle. This nuts-and-bolts guide - complete with practical exercises at the end of each chapter - gives you all the tips and techniques you need to:
- Establish a realistic sense of time and place
- Use description and setting to drive your story
- Craft effective description and setting for different genres
- Skillfully master showing vs. telling
Elements of Fiction Writing - Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress
Get Your Readers' Attention—And Keep It—From the First World to the Final Page
Translating that initial flash of inspiration into a complete story requires careful crafting. So how do you keep your story from beginning slowly, floundering midway, and trailing off at the end? Nancy Kress shows you effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story—essential lessons for strong start-to-finish storytelling.
Translating that initial flash of inspiration into a complete story requires careful crafting. So how do you keep your story from beginning slowly, floundering midway, and trailing off at the end? Nancy Kress shows you effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story—essential lessons for strong start-to-finish storytelling.
- Hook readers, agents, and editors in the first three paragraphs.
- Make and keep your story's implicit promise to the reader.
- Build drama and credibility by controlling your prose.
- Consider the price a writer pays for flashbacks.
- Reveal character effectively throughout your story.
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints by Nancy Kress
Create Complex CharactersHow do you create a main character readers won't forget? How do you write a book in multiple-third-person point of view without confusing your readers (or yourself)? How do you plant essential information about a character's past into a story?
Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by award-winning author Nancy Kress answers all of these questions and more! This accessible book is filled with interactive exercises and valuable advice that teaches you how to:
Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by award-winning author Nancy Kress answers all of these questions and more! This accessible book is filled with interactive exercises and valuable advice that teaches you how to:
- Choose and execute the best point of view for your story
- Create three-dimensional and believable characters
- Develop your characters' emotions
- Create realistic love, fight, and death scenes
- Use frustration to motivate your characters and drive your story
Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell
Ramp up the tension and keep your readers hooked! Inside you'll find everything you need to know to spice up your story, move your plot forward, and keep your readers turning pages. Expert thriller author and writing instructor James Scott Bell shows you how to craft scenes, create characters, and develop storylines that harness conflict and suspense to carry your story from the first word to the last.
Learn from examples of successful novels and movies as you transform your work from ho-hum to high-tension.
Learn from examples of successful novels and movies as you transform your work from ho-hum to high-tension.
- Pack the beginning, middle, and end of your book with the right amount of conflict.
- Tap into the suspenseful power of each character's inner conflict.
- Build conflict into your story's point of view.
- Balance subplots, flashbacks, and backstory to keep your story moving forward.
- Maximize the tension in your characters' dialogue.
- Amp up the suspense when you revise.
Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K. M. Weiland
Let outlines help you write a better book!
Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:
Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:
- Help you choose the right type of outline for you
- Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas
- Aid you in discovering your characters
- Show you how to structure your scenes
- Explain how to format your finished outline
- Instruct you in how to use your outline
- Reveal the benefits:
- Ensures cohesion and balance
- Prevents dead-end ideas
- Provides foreshadowing
- Offers assurance and motivation
- Dispel misconceptions:
- Requires formal formatting
- Limits creativity
- Robs the joy of discovery
- Takes too much time
Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Dear Novelist: Would you like your readers to live your stories, not merely read them? Deep Point of View anchors your readers inside the point of view character(s) of your novel. This handbook shows you how to perform the transformation from ordinary narrative to deep narrative in clear, easy-to-master steps.
The Story Template: Conquer Writer's Block Using the Universal Structure of Story by Amy Deardon
Writing a novel or screenplay sounds like a fabulous idea. But where do you start? And how do you finish? Award-winning author, Amy Deardon, answers these questions in The Story Template: Conquer Writer's Block Using the Universal Structure of Story. This approach will help you focus your creativity and complete your unique and compelling story, script, or novel. With this tool and more than 100 targeted writing exercises, you will learn to: A Ascertain the four foundational story pillars, and use the "secret weapon" of the story template, to structure your story. B Build character depth with believable change. C Create subplots to raise tension while you deepen and contrast story themes. R Review writing techniques that shape your ideas into a compelling manuscript. The Story Template is a product of Amy's comprehensive research-as well as her personal experience-for what makes a story "work." No matter your level of accomplishment, this book will help you build a better story.
Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Dr. Linda Edelstein
What makes a person commit a white-collar crime? Who is a likely candidate to join a cult? Why do children have imaginary friends? How does birth order affect whether or not a person gets married? When does mind over matter become a crippling problem?
Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition answers all of these questions and many others. With more than 400 easy-to-reference lists of traits blended from a variety of behaviors and influences, you'll gain the knowledge you need to create distinctive characters whose personalities correspond to their thoughts and actions - no matter how normal or psychotic they might be. In this updated and expanded edition, you'll also find:
Plus, you'll learn about common - and not so common - psychological, physical, and relationship disorders; delve into the minds of criminals; find out what it takes to be a professional athlete, scientist, and truck driver; discover what life is like for a gang member, suicidal teen, and alcoholic; and more.
In Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition, note psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generic personality types and into the depths of the human psyche where you're sure to find the resources you need to make your characters stand out from the crowd.
Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition answers all of these questions and many others. With more than 400 easy-to-reference lists of traits blended from a variety of behaviors and influences, you'll gain the knowledge you need to create distinctive characters whose personalities correspond to their thoughts and actions - no matter how normal or psychotic they might be. In this updated and expanded edition, you'll also find:
- Comprehensive instruction on how to use this book
- New statistical information to help you create true-to-life characters
- Corresponding exercises that show you how to put the material to work in your stories
- A quick-reference index to make cross-referencing a snap
- Idea sparkers to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page
Plus, you'll learn about common - and not so common - psychological, physical, and relationship disorders; delve into the minds of criminals; find out what it takes to be a professional athlete, scientist, and truck driver; discover what life is like for a gang member, suicidal teen, and alcoholic; and more.
In Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition, note psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generic personality types and into the depths of the human psyche where you're sure to find the resources you need to make your characters stand out from the crowd.
How to Write a Damn Good Mystery: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide from Inspiration to Finished Manuscript by James Frey
Edgar award nominee James N. Frey, author of the internationally best-selling books on the craft of writing, How to Write a Damn Good Novel, How to Write a Damn Good Novel II: Advanced Techniques, andThe Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth, has now written what is certain to become the standard "how to" book for mystery writing, How to Write a Damn Good Mystery.
Frey urges writers to aim high-not to try to write a good-enough-to-get-published mystery, but a damn good mystery. A damn good mystery is first a dramatic novel, Frey insists-a dramatic novel with living, breathing characters-and he shows his readers how to create a living, breathing, believable character who will be clever and resourceful, willful and resolute, and will be what Frey calls "the author of the plot behind the plot."
Frey then shows, in his well-known, entertaining, and accessible (and often humorous) style , how the characters-the entire ensemble, including the murderer, the detective, the authorities, the victims, the suspects, the witnesses and the bystanders-create a complete and coherent world.
Exploring both the on-stage action and the behind-the-scenes intrigue, Frey shows prospective writers how to build a fleshed-out, believable, and logical world. He shows them exactly which parts of that world show up in the pages of a damn good mystery-and which parts are held back just long enough to keep the reader guessing.
Frey urges writers to aim high-not to try to write a good-enough-to-get-published mystery, but a damn good mystery. A damn good mystery is first a dramatic novel, Frey insists-a dramatic novel with living, breathing characters-and he shows his readers how to create a living, breathing, believable character who will be clever and resourceful, willful and resolute, and will be what Frey calls "the author of the plot behind the plot."
Frey then shows, in his well-known, entertaining, and accessible (and often humorous) style , how the characters-the entire ensemble, including the murderer, the detective, the authorities, the victims, the suspects, the witnesses and the bystanders-create a complete and coherent world.
Exploring both the on-stage action and the behind-the-scenes intrigue, Frey shows prospective writers how to build a fleshed-out, believable, and logical world. He shows them exactly which parts of that world show up in the pages of a damn good mystery-and which parts are held back just long enough to keep the reader guessing.
Writing Mysteries by Sue Grafton
Mystery fiction is a species all its own, and writing it can be a special type of puzzle. But with this book, a writer's conference of sorts, readers will learn how to make their stories more taut, more real, more immediate, and more fraught with tension. Because this book's contributors, all members of the Mystery Writers of America, have walked by night, they know mystery story form, and they'll help readers learn it. They know who moves in the shadows, and they'll introduce readers. They know how to tighten the screws of suspense, and they'll hand readers a screwdriver.
Don't Murder Your Mystery [Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book] by Chris Roerden
FROM THE AUTHOR: I couldn't believe it! On the eve of Book Expo America 2009 in New York, my 11th book, DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION, won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Literary Criticism! The next day it won the Bronze Medal for Writing Book of the Year from ForeWord Magazine. Both are national, juried competitions.
DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION is advice from my 44 years in publishing, intended for writers in all genres -- an expanded edition of my earlier book, DON'T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY, which had the honor of:
* winning the 2006 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book (named for the great Agatha Christie, as you might guess)
* finaling for the Anthony Award for Best Critical Nonfiction (named for editor/critic Anthony Boucher, awarded by the largest mystery convention in the world, Bouchercon)
* finaling for the Macavity Award for Best Nonfiction (named for TS Eliot's cat and awarded by the largest mystery readers organization in the world, Mystery Readers International)
* finaling for ForeWord Magazine's Reference Book of the Year
* being selected for the Writer's Digest Book Club
DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION is advice from my 44 years in publishing, intended for writers in all genres -- an expanded edition of my earlier book, DON'T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY, which had the honor of:
* winning the 2006 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book (named for the great Agatha Christie, as you might guess)
* finaling for the Anthony Award for Best Critical Nonfiction (named for editor/critic Anthony Boucher, awarded by the largest mystery convention in the world, Bouchercon)
* finaling for the Macavity Award for Best Nonfiction (named for TS Eliot's cat and awarded by the largest mystery readers organization in the world, Mystery Readers International)
* finaling for ForeWord Magazine's Reference Book of the Year
* being selected for the Writer's Digest Book Club
Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit) by Lee Lofland
Not everything you see on your favorite crime show is accurate. In fact, a lot of it is flat out wrong. Police Procedure & Investigation helps you get your facts straight about the inner workings of law enforcement.
With a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly two decades, author Lee Lofland is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedures and crime scene investigations who consults regularly with best-selling authors and television producers. Now you can benefit from his years of experience with Police Procedure & Investigation.
This comprehensive resource includes:
With a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly two decades, author Lee Lofland is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedures and crime scene investigations who consults regularly with best-selling authors and television producers. Now you can benefit from his years of experience with Police Procedure & Investigation.
This comprehensive resource includes:
- More than 80 photographs, illustrations, and charts showing everything from defensive moves used by officers to prison cells and autopsies
- Detailed information on officer training, tools of the trade, drug busts, con air procedures, crime scene investigation techniques, and more
- First-person details from the author about his experiences as a detective, including accounts of arrests, death penalty executions, and criminal encounters
Howdunit Forensics by D P Lyle
Just because you don't have all the tools and training of a full-time medical examiner doesn't mean you can't learn your way around a crime scene.
In Forensics, award-winning author and TV show consultant D.P. Lyle, M.D., takes each area of forensics—from fingerprint analysis to crime scene reconstruction—and discusses its development, how the science works, how it helps in crime solving, and how you as a writer might use this technique in crafting your plot. This comprehensive reference guide includes:
In Forensics, award-winning author and TV show consultant D.P. Lyle, M.D., takes each area of forensics—from fingerprint analysis to crime scene reconstruction—and discusses its development, how the science works, how it helps in crime solving, and how you as a writer might use this technique in crafting your plot. This comprehensive reference guide includes:
- Real-life case files and the role forensic evidence played in solving the crimes
- A breakdown of the forensics system from its history and organization to standard evidence classification and collection methods
- Detailed information on what a dead body can reveal—including the cause, mechanism, and manner of death
- The actual steps taken to preserve a crime scene and the evidence that can be gathered there, such as bloodstains, documents, fingerprints, tire impressions, and more
HowDunit - The Book of Poisons by Serita Stevens
Discover Deadly Doses to Kill Off CharactersThe readers of your crime and mystery stories should be trying to figure out "whodunit"—not wondering why your facts don't make sense. If you want to kill off characters with something poisonous, you need to know how a villain would gain access to such a poison, how it would be administered, and what the effects on the victim would be. Book of Poisons can help you figure out all of the details of proper poisoning.
This thorough guide catalogs the classic poisons, household poisons, poisonous animals and plants, poisons used in wars, and more. With information on toxicity, reaction time, effects and symptoms, and antidotes and treatments, you'll know exactly what your villain needs to succeed and exactly what could foil his plans. You'll also find:
Book of Poisons is the comprehensive reference you need to create deaths by poison without stopping readers dead in their tracks over misguided facts.
This thorough guide catalogs the classic poisons, household poisons, poisonous animals and plants, poisons used in wars, and more. With information on toxicity, reaction time, effects and symptoms, and antidotes and treatments, you'll know exactly what your villain needs to succeed and exactly what could foil his plans. You'll also find:
- information about how real toxicologists uncover poisoning crimes
- a history of famous poisoners
- advice on how you can create your own fictional poison
- case histories that give examples of when the poisons listed were used in literature, movies, and real life
Book of Poisons is the comprehensive reference you need to create deaths by poison without stopping readers dead in their tracks over misguided facts.
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