Hi everyone!
This month at the #IWSG, we're discussing #writingcraftbooks.
The awesome co-hosts for the August 4 posting of the IWSG are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!
My contention is that writing books that are inspirational are the ones that speak to where you are in your writing journey at the time. Which is why a recommendation often falls flat as you're just not ready for that advice or you've moved well past it. Like I never understood From First Draft to Finished Novel when I bought it years ago. Perhaps now I will.
Sometimes craft books just wait too long to get to the point. But also reading craft books causes a brain freeze for me. I'm just glad one of my critique partners missed her calling as a writing coach. Boy does she know her way around plot and structure and Story Genius (more later).
The first writing book I found useful was David Maas's Writing the Breakout Novel and its accompanying exercises. Well, we're all going to write that breakout novel, aren't we? Has eluded me so far gotta say! The most useful thing about Maas's book was his writing exercises. He'd give you a starting point/topic, and away you'd go. I think this is probably where I developed my love of #flashfiction. I bought his Writing 21st Century Fiction but don't remember much about it except that he'd gathered all these experts who all had different ideas.
Nevertheless, they look nice on the shelves, don't they? If only I could spare more room!
I've read/partially read the books I just know will turn up this month. No authors. They'll be a cinch to find on Google:
Save the Cat
Take off your pants
On Writing
James Scott Bell
Goal, Motivation, Conflict etc etc.
But these 14 or so years since I decided to teach myself to write properly, my go-to books are:
Manuscript Makeover
Secrets of a Best-Selling Writer...and...
Story Genius (ever since a big publisher advised me to know everything about my characters from the time the Tooth Fairy first visited. Ha, I jest, but just about. So now I 'story genius' my characters so they are more intriguing in their motivations. I hope so, anyway.
~*~
Speaking of #flashfiction, WEP's August challenge is up on the site -
And I just created my first FB ad on Book Brush! Yeah, it needs work, but here we go...
