8 Most Helpful Books on Writing Fiction
\nby Diana Urban | Oct 20, 2017
\nI rarely read nonfiction, but when I do, it\u2019s usually on the craft of writing fiction. There\u2019s a bit of irony in there somewhere.
\nWith each new book I write, I\u2019m always looking to improve on my craft. As someone who never took creative writing classes or pursued an MFA, books on writing are my go-to resource for instruction and inspiration. Deciding which books to choose can be overwhelming, so I wanted to share a few of my faves with you. These might not be the best choices for all authors based on their skill level, but after writing three novels, these are the books that I\u2019ve found most helpful. Yay for caveats!
\n1. The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi<\/p>\n
The Emotion Thesaurus
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: brainstorming or revising characters\u2019 emotional responses
\nWhen I\u2019m revising my novels, I have The Emotion Thesaurus sitting next to me at all times. It\u2019s a quick reference for characters\u2019 internal and external emotional responses. The book is organized into 75 different emotions, each including a list of options for a character\u2019s physical signs, internal sensations, mental responses, cues of acute or long-term emoting, and cues of suppressing the emotion. Even if you don\u2019t choose one of the options in a list, they help to brainstorm replacements for filler emotional response descriptions (such as breath, breathe, inhale, exhale, or the dreaded \u201cI let out a breath I didn\u2019t know I was holding\u201d \u2014 ick!). I highly recommend buying it in paperback, not digital, so you can skim through any time.
\n2. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder<\/p>\n
Save The Cat
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: story development and structure
\nSave the Cat is technically a book on screenwriting, but the principles translate well to novel writing. The most valuable chapter for me was \u201cBeat it Out,\u201d in which Blake deconstructs the 15 beats an engaging story should have. While I prefer the plots of my novels to organically progress \u2014 I don\u2019t follow his \u201cBeat Sheat\u201d beat-for-beat \u2014 it\u2019s a helpful reminder for approximately where in a story major or minor disturbances should ideally happen. It\u2019s also a quick, entertaining read!
\n3. Write Great Fiction \u2013 Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell<\/p>\n
Plot & Structure
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: story and scene structure
\nThis was the first book I ever bought on writing! I randomly picked it out at Borders back when those existed, and I\u2019m so glad I did. I love this book in addition to Save the Cat because it offers specific examples in each chapter. The advice throughout is succinct and entertaining to read, and includes tips on constructing a scene, pacing, maintaining dramatic tension, and cutting bloat.
\n4. The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird<\/p>\n
The Secrets of Story
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: concept and character development (plus other great writing tips!)
\nWhile not quite as well known as some of the other books on this list, this one\u2019s one of my favorites. This book emphasizes how you should write for an audience, and not just yourself \u2014 it\u2019s not about chasing the market, but manipulating their emotional experience while reading your book. It also dives into creating compelling characters, staging a scene, and crafting dialogue. I might suggest skimming the chapter on structure if you\u2019re already reading Save the Cat and Plot & Structure, but the rest is extremely valuable.
\n5. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King<\/p>\n
On Writing
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: writing inspiration
\nWhile this is a memoir rather than a book purely on writing advice, I loved learning about the experiences, craft tips, and writing habits of one of the most prolific writers of modern times. Whereas my previous two recommendations focus on structure and might be most helpful for outlining a book, On Writing helped me come to terms with the fact that sometimes I\u2019m more of a pantser than a planner \u2014 and that\u2019s okay. There\u2019s no one right way to write a novel. Stephen describes how he usually starts a new novel by thinking of a character, getting to know that character, and throwing him into some ridiculous situation and seeing what happens. While it\u2019s helpful to estimate the beats of a story, your characters decide where those beats will drop.
\n6. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamont<\/p>\n
Bird By Bird
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: writing inspiration
\nMore of a memoir than an instructional guide, Anne Lamott tells the story of how she became a writer, and flurries in advice and anecdotes she shares with her students on writing and life as an author. She emphasizes how it\u2019s okay to let your characters tell their own story. What you outline is not necessarily the story you\u2019ll end up with, because your characters will learn and grow and find their own way through the story. Whenever I feel my characters taking over in my own novel, I feel kind of crazy \u2014 \u201cthey\u2019re not taking over, they\u2019re in my own head after all!\u201d \u2014 but it\u2019s nice to know that\u2019s normal.
\nYes, there\u2019s a pattern here, people. Know the ideal structures that elicit an emotional response from an audience, but let your characters drive the story.
\n7. The Writer\u2019s Guide to Beginnings by Paula Munier<\/p>\n
Writer’s Guide to Beginnings
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: writing beginnings (obviously)
\nBeginnings are one of my biggest weaknesses as a writer. I seem to have a good grasp on pacing and maintaining tension throughout a novel (so my readers tell me), but I struggle with where\/when\/how my stories should begin. This book has provided me some much needed inspiration and instruction on this particular weakness of mine, so hope it can help someone else, too!
\n8. The Writer\u2019s Idea Thesaurus by Fred White<\/p>\n
Writer’s Idea Thesaurus
\nWhat it\u2019s best for: brainstorming new story ideas
\nThis book\u2019s more an honorable mention, but can help spark creativity, so I thought it worth mentioning. I also recommend buying the paperback version, since it\u2019s not a book you\u2019d read cover-to-cover. Instead, it\u2019s fun to flip through and scan the different story ideas. I\u2019m not going to lie \u2014 it\u2019s not likely you\u2019ll pull a fully-fledged idea out of this book. In fact, some of the ideas are downright silly. But it definitely helps get the creative juices flowing, as you get in the groove of thinking CHARACTER unique for INTERESTING REASONS must do MISSION or else CONSEQUENCE, but OBSTACLES.
\nWhat other books on writing fiction would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
\nhttps:\/\/dianaurban.com\/most-helpful-books-writing-fiction<\/p>\n
I would add to Diana’s helpful list, Dianne Doubtfire’s The Craft of Novel Writing, short, precise and practical.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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