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On Writing |
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A
List of some Helpful Writing Books Some of these
are classics, some are out of print, but for what it’s worth, here is a list of
the books I’ve found most helpful, books that have stayed on my shelf over
the years and are still consulted from time to time How to Write Best Selling Fiction– Dean Koontz (Writer’s Digest Books, 1981) Of all the books on my shelf, this is the most used, the most marked up, the most appreciated. Koontz offers an excellent dissertation on the value and legitimacy of writing popular fiction, as well as very helpful instruction in plotting, characterization, the importance of verisimilitude and in maintaining a novel's pace and tension. Overcoming Writing Blocks – Karen Mack & Eric Skjei (J.P.Tarcher, Inc 1979) The second most used book on my shelf. The pages are starting to fall out so I should probably order a new copy. This book really speaks to what it’s like to wrestle with writing. Sprinkled through the text are quotes from various famous writers as they struggle with their own blocks, and those alone are heartening. But even more, the book offers many different strategies for meeting, accepting and overcoming the various blocks we may encounter. Writing With Power – Peter Elbow (Oxford University Press, 1981) Another very helpful book in defining and addressing the writing process. This introduces and develops the nonstop and open-ended writing strategies that I have found particularly helpful. Getting the Words Right – Theodore A. Rees-Cheney (Writer’s Digest books, 1983) The best book on revising and editing I’ve encountered. It really connected with me, and made it understandable in an easy-to read way. He breaks the process down into three stages, big changes, medium changes and micro changes. Often people tell you you shouldn’t to this or that – he explains why and shows the difference. The best thing about it is that he uses student examples and then shows you how they are improved by the application of the specific editing principle he’s addressing. Scene and Structure -- Jack Bickham (Writer’s Digest Books, 1993) Some may think Bickham's breakdown of a story’s flow into scene and sequel segments meticulous and annoying, but I have found it really helps me avoid those scenes where nothing seems to happen. I don’t use the technique slavishly, but forcing myself to consider what the character’s goal in the scene might be and whether he will achieve it or not has been helpful to my thought processes. It’s also invaluable when I’m blocked – usually because I’m trying to write a scene where nothing really happens but it’s not until I actually ask myself the questions he proposes that I figure that out. Plot – Ansen Dibell (Writer’s Digest Books, 1988 ) Opened my eyes to the possibilities of plot echoes and mirrors. Lots of fun. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy – Orson Scott Card (Writer’s Digest Books, 1990) Lots of good stuff here. I think I most appreciated his discussion of how to determine the type of story (character, action, theme, milieu) that you are writing. Also his example of the process of story generation is excellent. Becoming a Writer – Dorothea Brande (Jeremy Tarcher/Putnum, 1961,originally published in 1934) Aimed more at beginning writers, I still found the identification of the writer’s personality quirks fascinating and familiar. Especially her description of the "artistic coma" that precedes the generation of a piece of writing. I have long experienced it, but never knew it had a name, that others experienced it and that it was actually something good. Now that I know what it is, I am much more accepting of it. The Essence of Fiction – Malcolm McConnell (W.W. Norton & Co,1986) Aimed more at the literary writer, I nevertheless found this enlightening and stimulating in its discussion of dramatic essence in a successful narrative, creating vivid imagery, enhancing the mood. His "personal fiction writing checklist" was quite useful for me for a time. Novel-in-the-Making – Mary O’Hara (David McKay Co, 1954) I discovered this book by the author of My Friend Flicka in the used book store, and found it to be very exciting. In it she describes, from start to finish, almost in journal fashion, what she went through to write her adult novel The Son of Adam Wyngate. The process was so familiar, and she was pointing out so many things that I have gone through, that I felt a strong affinity for her. This is the first book of its kind that I’ve encountered and I am now on a search for more. The Hornblower Companion -- C. S. Forester (Naval Institute Press, 1964) The first half of this book is primarily for Hornblower fans, as it provides maps, and discussions of specific elements from the 11 Hornblower books, though it also includes how he came to write in some of the aspects. The second half is a much more detailed discussion of his writing process of the books and that, I think, would be fascinating for any writer. I loved his analogy to the jellyfish, and also to the sunken timbers collecting barnacles out of sight below the water's surface as a parallel to the development of a story in the regions of the sub-conscious. |
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