Reviews of Books For Writers:

[Guest]

The Novelist's Notebook- by Laurie Henry: A really helpful workbook style book which helps you to conceptualize and built your story, characters and setting. Basic but very helpful. ($18.99)

How To Write Romances- by Phyllis Taylor Pianka: A helpful book if your genre is romance or sensual romance. Has some good character development worksheets in it and sound advice for romance writers. ($15.95)

How To Publish & Promote Online- by MJ Rose & Angela Adair Hoy: This book would only be helpful to a person who is internet illiterate and has very little common sense. The basic advice is 'Um...submit your story to publishers, and make a website." No shit. ($13.95)

Structuring Your Novel- by Meredith & Fitzgerald: This book may be helpful if you are trying to write the great American novel. The book faulters by making examples of great American novels who haven't read since high school and without reading them again, you will understand very little of it. I don't think I want to re-read 10 books to be able to understand the advice given. ($14.00)

The Idiot's Guide To Getting Your Romance Published- by Julie Beard: If you are a romance writer, this is a fantastic book for you. Down to Earth, direct and very helpful. The book covers trends and expectations of a genre romance writer which are a bit different than those of a mainstream writer. This book will help beginning to advanced writers with all aspects of writing and publsihing a romance. ($16.95)

A Writer's Book Of Days- by Judy Reeves: Absolutely wothless. There is little to no advice in this book to help any writer. What this book does have is "writing excersizes" that will keep you busy writing dumb shit about leaves in Spring when you should be writing something worthwhile and working on that book you are writing. To top it off, the book is written by a woman who has never published anything but this book, yet she is telling you how to write and publish fiction. Those who cant; teach, I suppose. Not worth the money or the time. ($15.95)

Writers Market- There are various versions and types of this book. Poet's Market, Erotica writers market listing books, short story market books and such. In my opinion this is a must for every writer to have one of these books. Get an up do date copy each year. The contact info for editors will often change and a 2001 edition may not be useable in 2002. ($27.99)

How To Write Erotica- by Valerie Kelly:
I didn't find this book very useful at all. I also found Ms. Kelly's story samples in the book badly written and rather boring. Certainly not examples of good erotica, not that I am saying mine are, but I would expect better from someone writing a book about it. All the other advice was pretty run of the mill.

It's A Dirty Job...Writing Porn For Fun & Profit (eBook)- by Katy Terraga:
This eBook has some great practical advice and a great contact list as well. Ms Terraga also has a newsletter for writers that I would reccomend highly.


Feel free to add your own books for writers review to this post.

Smoochies.

 

[Anais Dahl]

That was me up there.

I clocked out. Sorry.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Mine:

Building Better Plots by Kernen. I like it because I can't seem to structure a plot in anything longer than 10,000 words to save my life. This actually helped me do that.

Fiction: The Art and Craft of Writing by Seidman. He's an editor from a major publishing house that knows his stuff.

On writing by King. Of course.

Forest for the Trees by Lerner. It's not a lot of writing advice, but more of how an editor sees writers and what the editing world is like. I don't feel like such a total freakjob anymore.

 

[takingchances42]

My Writing Library

The Elements of Style -- Strunk and White. Still the classic.

On Writing Well -- William Zinser. Classic book on writing non-fiction, very much worth reading.

Writing Novels That Sell -- Jack Bickman. A "no nonsense workshop for aspiring authors" by a guy who has had over sixty novels published, and taught creative writing at a nationally renowned university program for twenty years. Very good at helping you make the transition from writing for yourself, to making your focus the mind of the reader and getting him or her to turn the next page -- if that is the direction you want to go in.

Writing the Novel: From Plot to Print -- Lawrence Block. An opinionated book by the author of over a hundred published novels, that I found worth reading, though not as much so as the ones above. He has more of a focus on the getting published part than the pure writing books above.

Science Fiction Writer's Workshop 1: An Introduction to Fiction Mechanics -- Barry Longyear. Full of writing exercises, I found it a bit tough to read, but it could work very well for someone who likes that method of learning. (I actually write fantasy, not science fiction, but the two markets are close together.)

How To Write Science Fiction and Fantasy -- Orson Scott Card. A genre writing book where I found I don't want to write the same books that Card does (very good though they are), but did enjoy the very personal insights into the writing and publishing process.

Science Fiction Writer's Market Place and Sourcebook -- David Tompkins. I don't know if they even publish this any more, but for the specific market, this is much better than the more generic Writer's Market (though it is published by the same people.)

Other books that I find very useful are The New York Public Library's Desk Reference, Roget's Thesaurus, and a big, fat, dictionary.

 

[Whispersecret]

The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler -- I highly recommend this book. It clearly outlines the archetypal characters and plot devices that all great stories have, from time immemorial. Uses popular movies for examples, so you don't have to have read all the classics.

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King -- Great practical advice.

Characters and View Point by Orson Scott Card -- Excellent book. He explains how to create rich characters and how to manipulate viewpoints.

On Writing by Stephen King -- I had to recommend this as well. I don't care for horror, but King is a master writer. The book is worth reading just for the quirky look into King's life and what molded him as a writer. The writing advice he gives is sound and reliable, as far as I'm concerned, especially the part where he shows his first draft and then shows it again with is own revisions. Very illuminating.

 

[Guest]

the caveat

I have read many threads here dealing with improved writing techniques. All the suggestions - reading texts, practising, working with an editor- these are great motivators and teachers.

Unfortunately we cannot all be John Grishams and Jackie Suzannes, who write so effortlessly, they are probably eating lunch at the keyboard and watching over their kids at the same time they are banging out best sellers.

But these authors and many writers on this board giving good advice all share one commodity they cannot transfer, and that is their talent.

It isn't fair, is it?

I am jealous of the asshole who sits on the sofa at a party and gets all the girls by playing his guitar and singing. And he is probably handsome, too.
I wish I were a pianist, sitting at an old upright banging out R & B.
I wish I could paint nude photos of all my friends and be in constant demand.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could really teach natural skills and not depend on genes or the Almighty?

Just my take on this stuff. I am unregistered because I have expressed an unpopular opinion. I have a few friends here. I want to keep them.

 

[wildsweetone]

one of the things i do as a teacher is to encourage my students to learn.

there is a saying i read somewhere...

'he who does the work, does the learning'.

i believe that the urge to write is the natural ability, the bit that is passed down through the genes or whatever. the rest of it is made up of the skills we learn as we grow and as we wander through life and as we listen to others.

i think to write as a best seller author writes, is to write reasonably well (i.e. no typos) and then to be persistent enough to have someone suddenly declare you are a pure miracle and offer to publish your work.

for me, the idea is to firstly enjoy what i do and secondly to be openminded about it.

there will always be those who write better than me, there will always be some who write worse.

be happy with what you have and be openminded if you want more.

*hugs*
wildsweetone
ps don't be afraid, we all have times of doubt. let your friends in, that's what friends are for.
darn, sorry, i waffled again.

 

[Whispersecret]

I don't see unregistered's opinion as being unpopular. In fact, I think it's highly POPULAR. I'm constantly overwhelmed by jealousy over other authors' work. Because I want to be published so badly, whenever I read a great book, I now have this bittersweet feeling. There is that "Oh, damn, it's over" feeling that I've always felt after a great read. But now, there's also that despair because I realize that I will probably never be able to write like that.

Still, it's pointless to give up. I'll certainly never get published if I don't try. So, I work everyday at getting better. There is a fire inside me. Sometimes it's a pilot light, and sometimes it's an inferno. Either way, I feel confident that if it keeps burning and I remain strong enough after the rejections to send my work out again, I will get published. I've read countless times that success as a writer depends almost as much on persistence as it does on talent.

Besides, how do you know it's effortless for the heavy hitters? I'll bet it's not. In fact, I'll bet it might be harder for them because of the pressure to produce, the expectation from their fans, etc.

 

[Anais Dahl]

I have been to several parties with a famous author and she has said it is not easy. I voiced the same expressions to her and she said I am crazy if I think it is easy for her.

I think they have it just as hard as we do. They just got a break.

 

[jon.hayworth]

I'll recomend:

Susie Bright's "How to Write a Dirty Story" Simon Schuster.

Ann Hoffman "Research for Writers" A&C Black

For those interested in plots and where their roots lie try-
Georges Polti "Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations" The Writer. inc.

For UK based writers "The Times Guide to English Style and Usage" Times Books.

Reay Tannahill's "Sex in History" is a great reference book on sex throughout human history and prehistory.

As for getting published it appears in this country - the UK the best bet is to be a Lord who gets jailed for Perverting the Course of Justice. Then the publisher will give a multi million pound publishing contract - and the authorities let him out of jail every day - yes I just wish my name was Jeffrey Archer!!!!!!

jon

 

[its Leslie]

I have a number of the books on some of the posts above, all very useful reads too.

I am not yet I think a great writer, but it seems so damned easy to write.

I suppose I would piss off unregistered if she watched me write.
But then I am also a good painter and a skilled modeler as well as a cabinetmaker. I am no rich comedian, but people always seem to like me being around.

I don't sit on a couch playing the guitar though