• Home
  • Lily's Blog
  • Buying Blind
  • Buy the Bitch
  • Shot on Location
  • Bio
  • Sites
  • Films Noir Blog
  • Book Reviews
  Lily Gardner
Join me on Facebook and Twitter

Your Favorite Writing Books?

6/19/2013

9 Comments

 
Picture
Are you one of those writers who can’t resist the latest book on the writing craft? I am. All someone has to do is mention a craft book and I’m headed to the bookstore.

My current favorites are:

Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maas.

This book addresses the story stakes, meaningful characters and much, much more. All of Maass’ craft books are worthwhile.

Story, by Robert McKee.  Analysis of story structure, character and emotional arcs.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James Frey. The king of conflict takes us back to the basics of dramatic storytelling. You literary novelists out there would find this useful as well.

Story Engineering and Story Physics, by Larry Brooks. Brooks uses the rules of screenwriting to help novelists shape their stories, that and much more. As with Donald Maas, all of Larry’s books are worth reading.

Scene and Structure, by Jack Bickham. How to orchestrate story between scene and sequel. Alas, I keep hearing about this one from my fellow critiquers.

Honorable mention goes to:

If You Want to Write, by Brenda Ueland, for inspiration.

Writing Down the Bones, By Natalie Goldberg, for free writes.

Bird by Bird, by Annie Lamott, for shitty first drafts.

What are your favorite writing books?


9 Comments

    Lily Gardner

    Portland writer of noir mysteries.

    Archives

    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2014 Lily Gardner