Books for Writers

I'm a big believer in studying as part of the writer's journey. While the biggest growth can be made by actually writing, reading writing books can help too. Maybe a lot. I'll start the list with books I've read and loved.

- "The Art of War for Writers" - James Scott Bell
- "On Becoming a Novelist" - John Gardner
- "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" - Renni Browne and Dave King
- "On Writing" - Stephen King

I'm a big believer in studying as part of the writer's journey. While the biggest growth can be made by actually writing, reading writing books can help too. Maybe a lot. I'll start the list with books I've read and loved.

- "The Art of War for Writers" - James Scott Bell
- "On Becoming a Novelist" - John Gardner
- "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" - Renni Browne and Dave King
- "On Writing" - Stephen King

Stephen King says adverbs are pernicious weeds and I happen to be addicted to adverbs. ;) But then SK is a best seller and I'm only midlist.

Yeah, Stephen King makes me feel like a very lazy, [staff edit] writer. While I do love most his books, and while "On Writing" is a great book to read multiple times, he scares me. He also says it shouldn't take anyone more than three months to write a novel draft. :wow: That's 2,000 words a day every day for three months. Yeah, 180,000 words...

I guess I have a lot a discipline yet to gain.

Although he points out that 2,000 is what he writes and that most people should aim for 1,000.

Yeah, Stephen King makes me feel like a very lazy, [staff edit]writer. While I do love most his books, and while "On Writing" is a great book to read multiple times, he scares me. He also says it shouldn't take anyone more than three months to write a novel draft. :wow: That's 2,000 words a day every day for three months. Yeah, 180,000 words...

I guess I have a lot a discipline yet to gain.

I can easily do 2K a day. It's disciplining myself to do it every day. As long as I take the netbook out of the house, it's not a problem. Library, McD's, parks. Two straight hours and I've done 2k words give or take 100.

Talk about lack of discipline, my second novel is 168K and it took me 11 months. I was dabbling, not working. Once I decided that I was going to do this writing thing seriously, I work nearly every day and make sure I get 2K done each time.

My first (110K) took six months through two drafts and editing. My third (68K) took three months through final edit. Now I'm writing novelettes which I'm turning into series. These are 10K to 30K. That's 1-3 weeks depending on how long the story turns out to be.

No writing today. Just finished the current wip and I'm editing. It'll be part of an anthology to be released in December.

I can easily do 2K a day. It's disciplining myself to do it every day. As long as I take the netbook out of the house, it's not a problem. Library, McD's, parks. Two straight hours and I've done 2k words give or take 100.

Talk about lack of discipline, my second novel is 168K and it took me 11 months. I was dabbling, not working. Once I decided that I was going to do this writing thing seriously, I work nearly every day and make sure I get 2K done each time.

My first (110K) took six months through two drafts and editing. My third (68K) took three months through final edit. Now I'm writing novelettes which I'm turning into series. These are 10K to 30K. That's 1-3 weeks depending on how long the story turns out to be.

This is actually very impressive. I envy you. I've had a hard time working every day, not sure why. I used to write every day, four hours a day. Now, I'm lucky if I can get myself going a few times a week. Maybe it's that Fear thing we were talking about. ;)

I have a 110,000-word manuscript, third draft, and progress has been slow, especially lately. It's a little discouraging, but the early feedback has been really positive, so I guess that's something.

Write on!

Friends and family will always give you positive feedback because they know your "voice."

Check with your local library and see if they have a writer's group. You need disinterested strangers to read and critique your ms. But don't take everyone's advice and change your book so much you don't recognize it any longer. If you truly see value in what they are saying, then make the changes that you feel are right for you.

There comes a point when you have to trust yourself.

Not a book exactly, but I find Hemingway's Kansas City Star Style Guide is a good starting point.

An essential book for ALL writers is The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. While it isn't a how-to book for writing, it provides a basis for structurally sound grammar and easy identification of wasted words.

I think that any book is good for writers. When you read, you pick up on good vocabulary, sentence structures and lengths, in-between emotion, emotional portrayal, and character attachment. If someone decided to be a writer, and had only read books when assigned, I am willing to guarantee they would be an awful writer. But try to reach a minimum of five books from all points of view, research point, autobiography, biography, anything and everything.