These books have been recommended by successful authors and / or have been helpful to me personally. I hope you enjoy building your library.
Writing Classes I Recommend:
How To Think Sideways – Holly Lisle
Would you like your writing to take off in directions that surprise even you?
With this self-paced course, “How To Think Sideways”, full-time author Holly Lisle can help you whip your muse into shape with proven techniques that will open the floodgates of your creativity.
Every writer has read a book and wondered how the author came up with that plot twist, seemingly from left field. With this course , Holly is not only going to stimulate your idea generation, but will show you how to do it on a deadline. She will also show you how to effectively plan your projects as well as walk you through the beginning, middle, and ending sections of your novel.
This course, delivered in weekly lessons, includes:
- Monthly video that covers the month’s main topic
- Weekly lessons with assignments
- Weekly technique demonstrations
- Monthly checklist of all steps to take
- A monthly Q&A made up of questions taken from the course forums
- Private workgroups (optional)
- Class discussion forum to interact with other students
Writers spend hundreds of dollars taking courses to learn more about their craft. At $47 a month, “How to Think Sideways” goes above and beyond, showing you how to make the most of your imagination.
Books on Craft:
Beginnings, Middles and Ends – Nancy Kress
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint – Nancy Kress
Description & Setting - Ron Rozelle
Write Great Fiction: Dialogue – Gloria Kempton
The First Five Pages – Noah Lukeman
GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict - Debra Dixon
How to Grow a Novel - Sol Stein
Immediate Fiction – Jerry Cleaver
Plot & Structure - James Scott Bell
Sin & Syntax – Constance Hale
Stein on Writing – Sol Stein
Story – Robert McKee
Techniques of the Selling Writer - Dwight V. Swain
The Writer’s Journey – Christopher Vogler
Word Magic for Writers - Cindy Rogers
Word Painting – Rebecca McClanahan
Writing Dialogue – Tom Chiarella
Writing for Emotional Impact – Karl Iglesias
Writing the Breakout Novel – Donald Maass
Books on Writing Romance:
The Art of Romance Writing – Valerie Parv
How to Write Romances – Phyllis Taylor Pianka
Improve Your Romance Writing Skills – Geneviéve & Michael Montcombroux
On Writing Romance - Leigh Michaels
The Romance Writer’s Handbook - Rebecca Vinyeard
Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies - Leslie Wainger
Writing the Great American Romance Novel - Catherine Lanigan
Writing Romance – Vanessa Grant
Writing Romances – Edited by Rita Clay Estrada and Rita Gallagher
You Can Write a Romance - Rita Clay Estrada and Rita Gallagher
Books on Editing and Marketing:
Book Proposals That Sell – W. Terry Whalin
Revision & Self-Editing - James Scott Bell
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Renni Brown and Dave King
The Sell Your Novel Took Kit – Elizabeth Lyon
Links for World Building / Magic / Fantasy:
30 Days of World Building – Stephanie Cottrell Bryant
Magical World Builder’s Guide – Stephanie Cottrell Bryant
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions – SFWA
How Much of My World Do I Build? – Holly Lisle
Online World-Building Resources – SpecFicWorld
