McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Good books on writing

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Todd Edwards:
I've read a bunch of them, some useful, some not, and some that were amazingly useful. Do you have a book or three that helped you out?

The ones I recommend are:

* How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy - Orson Scott Card: great overview
* Characters and Viewpoint - Orson Scott Card: no one writes characters like him. It is part of "The Elements of Fiction Writing" series. The rest are good too and focus on different aspects of the craft. I believe Jim learned from William Noble, who wrote Conflict, Action, and Suspense in the series.
* Writing the Novel - Lawrence Block: a good overview of all the aspects of novel writing
* The First Five Pages - Noah Lukeman: indispensable guide to editing. Tells you, in order of importance, what things make editors and agents reject a book.
* The Elements of Style - William Strunk and EB White: no list would be complete without it. Grammar rules, tight writing style, common mistakes to avoid, and witty as well. What's not to like?
--Todd

Jon Crenshaw:
Elements should be on every writer's shelf. ;)

As much as I'm *not* a bit King fan, his "On Writing" is an excellent resource for writers. (Once you get past the biographical stuff.)

-Jon

Shiloh:
Writers Digest publishes a lot of helpful books, whether on the "how-to's" of character, plot, and the like (I believe the Orson Scott Card book is one such example), and they also publish a lot of technical guides, historical references, and things like that.

pathele:
Sometimes the Magic Works : Lessons from a Writing Life  by Terry Brooks. 
It was pretty good. 

On Writing by Steven King was wonderful

Selkie:
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin.  A definate must-read, because it takes a somewhat different direction from the usual "How to" for writers. She also includes some really interesting writing exercises.  Even if you don't write, it teaches you things about writing that adds depth to the books you read.  And I met Ms. LeGuin, and she was really cool. ( ;

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