One of the best books I’ve read on writing recently has been Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. Snyder is a screenwriter who has has his share of both failures and successes and he shares what he has learned about the way to construct the perfect script. The intriguing title of the book comes from … Read more
One of the best books I’ve read about writing and being a writer is Stephen King’s On Writing. Written whilst he was recovering from a horrific accident (a van driver hit him while he was out for a walk), it’s a fascinating book combining autobiography and advice. If you’ve not heard of Stephen King, he’s … Read more
One of my favourite “how to write” books is Nigel Watts’ Writing A Novel and Getting Published. My battered, torn and heavily-pencil-marked copy is a testament to how useful I’ve found it over the years. Although the cover appears to be on the verge of falling off altogether, I’ve risked opening the book once more … Read more
One of the most influential teachers of writing was Rudolf Flesch. I encountered him through an out-of-print book called On Business Communications, formerly titled Say What You Mean. Only later did I discover that he also wrote the 1955 educational critique Why Johnny Can’t Read. His other titles include The Art of Plain Talk, The … Read more
I’ve finally got round to reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Here’s a book that is not only useful and fun to read, its phenomenal popularity carries a moral for every writer: Don’t worry about following the market. Don’t try to produce another DaVinci Code or Harry Potter. Write what you’re enthusiastic about … Read more
Some time ago one of our readers sent me a link to a brilliantly written book review, interestingly enough about a shockingly bad book. The person who wrote the review is called Charles Moore. Here is a quote from it: That pretty much sums up my experience reading Aaron Rayburn’s novel, THE SHADOW GOD. I … Read more
No-one knows it all, and as a writer I use several sources of research for my articles and ebooks. Aside from the resources I use to research particular topics, there are also several essential books I need related to the craft of writing. Here are the books on my bookshelf which I couldn’t do without. … Read more
Before launching myself into the historical novel I’ve been thinking about, I decided to read some books on writing before getting too far along. My luck was to pick up Sol Stein’s How to Grow A Novel. Some writing books are good for beginners, but some are not. I think that the writer who has … Read more
Every writer who has browsed the pages of the Writers Market is familiar with notations like this one: Publishes 25-30 titles a year. Receives 5,000 queries and 1,500 manuscripts a year. Since more books are written than published, what can you do to improve your chances of publication? No guarantees are offered, but you can … Read more
Some novelists like to begin with a blank page and see where their thoughts take them. This approach may be good enough to get started, but if it’s a mystery you want to write, sooner or later you’ll need a plan. Before you get too far, you may want to check out Hallie Ephron’s Writing … Read more
Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style receives frequent mention in articles about writing. Originating as a classroom study aid prepared by Cornell English Professor William Strunk in 1918, this widely-used desk reference of English usage, form, and style continues to influence writers after a hundred years. After Strunk died in 1946, essayist E.B. White … Read more
Serious bloggers understand the importance of concise writing. Unfortunately, great writing tips on brevity are scattered among many resources. Fortunately, a book called The Dictionary of Concise Writing crossed my desk. Written by Robert Fiske, The Dictionary of Concise Writing is the definitive guide to fat-free writing. This book literally contains its subtitle – more … Read more