How to Write a Book? See Guaranteed Help!
Did you know 81% of the population would like to write a book?
How sad that so few actually follow through with that desire.
It could be that those who don’t believe writing is a talent they don’t have. But if I can do it, anyone can!
As a child and teenager, I wrote a lot. I even won a few competitions and worked at the town newspaper for my after-school job. As a young school teacher with small children, I often started writing a novel during summer break, but never managed to complete one.
I carried that dream around for years, always putting it off for “some day.”
Then the empty nest came, and I needed something to do with my free time. Around that same time I received a couple of troubling diagnoses and lost a friend to cancer. It was almost as though God reached down from heaven and tapped me on the shoulder to ask: “When are you going to do this?”
I realized that none of us are guaranteed another breath or heartbeat. If I was going to follow through on my dream, the time was now.
But I had work to do first, and I knew it. Work that involved becoming educated in writing. After all, writing a novel is quite a bit different than a ten-page essay. In addition to picking up the habit of writing daily, I also joined a writer’s group, took online courses, and snatched up books which I treated as college textbooks.
I read, highlighted, dog-eared, and typed notes. And it paid off in a big way. Six novels, a novella, and three non-fiction books later (with more in the works!), I attribute my writing career and successes to that intense study of the craft of writing.
Below I’ve included several of my favorite writing books as well as a few that are in my TBR pile. I write this post with the hope that if you’re in that 81%, you’ll dig into some of these books and jump into the ranks of a much smaller group.
Those who actually write a book.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
P.S. If you’d like to read my very first novel (TEXAS ROADS) for free, you can find it on Amazon. And the second Miller’s Creek novel (A PATH LESS TRAVELED) is free for newsletter subscribers.
(DISCLOSURE: I am an Amazon affiliate, which means that if you click through the links in this post to Amazon and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission which helps with the cost of maintaining my website. That commission comes from Amazon, not your pocket. :) Thanks for your support!)
Want to write a book? Check out @Cathy_Bryant’s favorite writing books!
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Write a Book – Characterization
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint
by Nancy Kress
Description –
How 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:
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
With dozens of excerpts from some of today’s most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint provides you with the techniques you need to create characters and stories sure to linger in the hearts and minds of agents, editors, and readers long after they’ve finished your book.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Creating Characters: How to Build Story People
by Dwight V. Swain
Description –
Vibrant, believable characters help drive a fictional story. Along with a clever plot, well-drawn characters make us want to continue reading a novel or finish watching a movie. In Creating Characters, Dwight V. Swain shows how writers can invent interesting characters and improve them so that they move a story along.
“The core of character,” he says in chapter 1, “lies in each individual story person’s ability to care about something; to feel implicitly or explicitly, that something is important.” Building on that foundation—the capacity to care—Swain takes the would-be writer step-by-step through the fundamentals of finding and developing “characters who turn you on.” This basic but thought-provoking how-to is a valuable tool for both the novice and the seasoned writer.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by Brandilyn Collins
Description – EDITION 2: Revised with some new material gathered through 13 years of teaching these concepts at writers conferences. ————- Want to bring characters to life on the page as vividly as fine actors do on the stage or screen? Getting Into Character will give you a whole new way of thinking about your writing. Drawing on the Method Acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use. You’ll discover concepts that will lead you to understand and communicate the motivation and psychology of all your characters. These highly effective techniques will help you: ~ create characters whose distinctive traits become plot components ~ determine each character’s specific objectives and motivations ~ write natural, meaningful dialogue that moves the story forward ~ endow your characters with three-dimensional emotional lives ~ use character motivation to bring action sequences to exuberant life ~ write convincingly about any character facing any circumstance.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – Dialogue
How to Write Dazzling Dialogue
by James Scott Bell
Description – There is one sure-fire way of improving your novel fast. . . You may know the fundamentals of how to write fiction. You may be more than competent in plot, structure and characters. But if your dialogue is dull it will drag the whole story down. On the other hand, if your dialogue is crisp and full of tension it immediately grabs the reader. And if that reader is an agent or editor, sharp dialogue will give them instant assurance that you know what you’re doing as a writer. Writing a bestseller or hot screenplay is no easy task, but dazzling dialogue is an absolute essential if you want to get there. The best part is, the skills of the dialogue craft are easy to understand and put into practice. #1 bestselling writing coach James Scott Bell has put together and expanded upon the dialogue lectures from his popular writing seminars. In How to Write Dazzling Dialogue you’ll learn:
What fictional dialogue is … and isn’t
The 11 secrets of crafting memorable dialogue
The 5 essential tasks of dialogue
5 ways to improve your dialogue ear
4 can’t-miss methods to increase conflict and tension in any dialogue exchange
The top 10 dialogue issues, and how to resolve them
You’ll also see dazzling dialogue in action with examples from hit novels and screenplays. Don’t sabotage your chances of selling your work to readers or publishers because the dialogue is unexceptional. Dazzle them with what the characters say. How to Write Dazzling Dialogue will give you the tools to do it.
(NOTE: I haven’t yet read this book, but I’ve read several other craft-of-writing books by James Scott Bell, and have yet to find one that wasn’t oh-so helpful. This one’s on my TBR list!)
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – Editing and Revision
Self-Editing For Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne and Dave King
Description –
Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories.
In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by Noah Lukeman
Description – Whether you are a novice writer or a veteran who has already had your work published, rejection is often a frustrating reality. Literary agents and editors receive and reject hundreds of manuscripts each month. While it’s the job of these publishing professionals to be discriminating, it’s the job of the writer to produce a manuscript that immediately stands out among the vast competition. And those outstanding qualities, says New York literary agent Noah Lukeman, have to be apparent from the first five pages.
The First Five Pages reveals the necessary elements of good writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry, and points out errors to be avoided, such as:
* A weak opening hook
* Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
* Flat or forced metaphors or similes
* Melodramatic, commonplace or confusing dialogue
* Undeveloped characterizations and lifeless settings
* Uneven pacing and lack of progression
With exercises at the end of each chapter, this invaluable reference will allow novelists, journalists, poets and screenwriters alike to improve their technique as they learn to eliminate even the most subtle mistakes that are cause for rejection. The First Five Pages will help writers at every stage take their art to a higher — and more successful — level.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – General
by Anne Lamott
Description – “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'”
PURCHASE : | Print | Kindle |
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
Description – “Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.
(NOTE: This is another one that I’ve yet to read, but it has consistently shown up on author’s must-read list. Why? Because it was written by one of the best writers of our day. On my TBR list!)
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Techniques of the Selling Writer
by Dwight V. Swain
Description –
Techniques of the Selling Writer provides solid instruction for people who want to write and sell fiction, not just to talk and study about it. It gives the background, insights, and specific procedures needed by all beginning writers. Here one can learn how to group words into copy that moves, movement into scenes, and scenes into stories; how to develop characters, how to revise and polish, and finally, how to sell the product.
No one can teach talent, but the practical skills of the professional writer’s craft can certainly be taught. The correct and imaginative use of these kills can shorten any beginner’s apprenticeship by years.
This is the book for writers who want to turn rejection slips into cashable checks.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by Donald Maass
Description – We’ve all read them: novels by our favorite authors that disappoint. Uninspired and lifeless, we wonder what happened. Was the author in a hurry? Did she have a bad year? Has he lost interest altogether?
Something similar is true of a great many unpublished manuscripts. They are okay stories that never take flight. They don’t grip the imagination, let alone the heart. They merit only a shrug and a polite dismissal by agents and editors.
It doesn’t have to be that way. In The Fire in Fiction, successful literary agent and author Donald Maass shows you not only how to infuse your story with deep conviction and fiery passion, but how to do it over and over again. The book features:
Techniques for capturing a special time and place, creating characters whose lives matter, nailing multiple-impact plot turns, making the supernatural real, infusing issues into fiction, and more.
Story-enriching exercises at the end of every chapter to show you how to apply the practical tools just covered to your own work.
Rich examples drawn from contemporary novels as diverse as The Lake House, Water for Elephants, and Jennifer Government to illustrate how various techniques work in actual stories.
Plus, Maass introduces an original technique that any novelist can use any time, in any scene, in any novel, even on the most uninspired day…to take the most powerful experiences from your personal life and turn those experiences directly into powerful fiction.
Tap into The Fire in Fiction, and supercharge your story with originality and spark!
(Another one on my TBR list. This author’s “Writing the Breakout Novel” (see below) was undoubtedly one of the books that most impacted and improved my writing. As a literary agent with many years in the book business, I trust Donald Maass’ advice!)
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by Randy Ingermanson & Peter Economy
Description – A complete guide to writing and selling your novel So 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. Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a writer to being an author. It can happen-if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.
(Another one on my must-read list. Every fiction book I’ve written as been done using Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake form. I highly recommend it, and that is exactly why this book is on my list.)
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by Donald Maass
Description –
Maybe you’re a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you’ve already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo. Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel – one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists.
Maass details the elements that all breakout novels share – regardless of genre – then shows you writing techniques that can make your own books stand out and succeed in a crowded marketplace.
You’ll learn to:
establish a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place
weave subplots into the main action for a complex, engrossing story
create larger-than-life characters that step right off the page
explore universal themes that will interest a broad audience of readers
sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish
develop an inspired premise that sets your novel apart from the competition
Then, using examples from the recent works of several best-selling authors – including novelist Anne Perry – Maass illustrates methods for upping the ante in every aspect of your novel writing. You’ll capture the eye of an agent, generate publisher interest and lay the foundation for a promising career.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
by Donald Maass
Description – Make Your Novel Stand Out from the Crowd! Noted literary agent and author Donald Maass has done it again! His previous book, Writing the Breakout Novel, offered novelists of all skill levels and genres insider advice on how to make their books rise above the competition and succeed in a crowded marketplace. Now, building on the success of its predecessor, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook calls that advice into action! This powerful book presents the patented techniques and writing exercises from Maass’s popular writing workshops to offer novelists first-class instruction and practical guidance. You’ll learn to develop and strengthen aspects of your prose with sections on: Building plot layers Creating inner conflict Strengthening voice and point of view Discovering and heightening larger-than-life character qualities Strengthening theme And much more! Maass also carefully dissects examples from real-life breakout novels so you’ll lean how to read and analyze fiction like a writer. With authoritative instruction and hands-on workbook exercises, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook is one of the most accessible novel-writing guides available. Set your work-in progress apart from the competition and write your own breakout novel today!
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – Goal, Motivation, & Conflict
by Debra Dixon
Description – Goal, Motivation & Conflict will show you how to use these three key elements to give dimension to your characters and direction to your plot. It will help you plan a road map to keep your story on track, discover why your scenes aren’t working and how to fix them, create characters that editors and readers will care about, be confident your idea will work before you write 200 pages, end sagging middles and much more. Clear and concise with many helpful examples.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – Plotting & Story Structure
by Nancy Kress
Description – 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.
Get the tools you need to get your story off to an engaging start, keep the middle tight and compelling, and make your conclusion high impact. You’ll also find dozens of exercises to help strengthen your short story or novel. Let this resource be your guide to successful stories—from the first word to the last.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
by James Scott Bell
Description – How 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:
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.
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story
by James Scott Bell
Description – Super Structure represents over two decades of research on what makes a novel or screenplay entertaining, commercial, original, and irresistible. Contrary to what some may think, structure is not a nasty inhibitor of creativity. Quite the opposite. Properly understood and utilized, structure is what translates story into a form readers are wired to receive it. And it is only when readers truly connect with your story that they turn from casual readers into fans. The material in this book greatly expands upon the chapter on structure in Write Your Novel From the Middle. Super Structure can be considered a companion to that book, but it also stands alone in its treatment of the elements of a solid and pleasing plot. Here’s more good news: Super Structure will work for any type of writer–those who like to outline, those who just fly by “the seat of the pants,” and those who do a little of both. That’s because Super Structure stresses the concept of “signpost scenes.” There are fourteen signpost scenes, or beats, that can be used to create an entire plot, the skeleton of an idea, or a map to help you figure out what to write next. Every signpost is given its own chapter and explanation, along with a section called “Helpful Hints for Plotters and Pantsers,” showing you how to apply what you’ve learned and adapt it to your own style of writing. Never write a weak novel or screenplay again. Super Structure is a proven foundation that never fails. It frees you to add your original voice and vision, all of which adds up to bestselling fiction and hit screenplays.
(Though I haven’t yet read this one, it’s on my list because I love James Scott Bell’s writing and his teaching.)
PURCHASE: | Print | Kindle |
Write a Book – Romance
by Gail Gaymer Martin
Description – Writing the Christian Romance provides readers with detailed instruction for creating a storyline that is reflective of Christian values with authentic well constructed principled characters. This comprehensive book shows writers how to develop an engaging, passionate, conflict-driven romantic storyline without the use profanity, gratuitous violence, or sexually explicit content. Writers will learn to construct stories using the three threads around which Christian romance is centered: the characters’ personal growth, the growth of the romance, and the characters’ spiritual growth, which is as irrevocably tied to the story line as the first two threads.
PURCHASE: | Print Only |
COMMENT CHIT-CHAT: Have any favorites that aren’t on my list? Please let us know in the comments!
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