[LM_NET] HIT: Books about the craft of writing fiction

[Nancy Dickinson <dickinsonn@K12COFFEE.NET>]

Greetings! I am sorry it has taken me so long to post this hit on books
about the craft of writing fiction. Thanks to everyone who sent me
suggestions. I ordered 4 of them for my nephew (who is 29, for those who
wondered) for Christmas. He will be thrilled. Thanks for coming through
for me as usual!

Nancy

------------------------

I can't speak from experience for the greatness of the two books listed
below, but they're in the collection for our aspiring fantasy writers.

   ISBN: 1582970076     Title: Worlds of wonder : how to write science
fiction & fantasy / David Gerrold. Writer's Digest Books, c2001.

   ISBN: 0898798663    Title: The writer's complete fantasy reference /
from the editors of Writer's Digest Books. Writer's Digest Books,c1998.

-------------------------

The absolute best book on writing fiction I know is John Gardner's The Art
of Fiction.
Ursula K. Le Guin's The Wave in the Mind should be required for anyone
even thinking about writing fiction.
Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird is good, too.

---------------------------

I just love that book On Writing (not a Stephen King fan otherwise) and
have read it once and listened to it twice. The audiobook is available at
a discount at many places. I guess that it wasn't a best seller, but I
have purchased it twice as a gift for an aspiring writer.

---------------------------

Writing fiction: all sorts of titles by Ralph Fletcher.
Also: join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
(SCBWI).

-----------------------------

This one is not specific to fantasy, but since he wants to write
novels, it's a great one.  The Art and Craft of Novel Writing by Oakley
Hall.

-------------------------------

I have a creative writing club at my high school and one of the students
gave me a long list of books he wanted to see me order. I read the reviews
and here are the ones which I ordered:

   Dynamic Characters : How  Dynamic Characters : How to Create
Personalities That Keep Readers Captivated by Nancy Kress

  Page After Page : Discover the confidence & passion you need to start
writing & ...  by Heather Sellers

  Marshall Plan for Getting Your Novel Published Marshall Plan for Getting
Your Novel Published by Evan Marshall

  Marshall Plan for Novel Writing : A 16-Step Program Guaranteed to Take
You from... Evan Marshall

  Marshall Plan Workbook : Writing You Novel from Start to FinishMarshall
Plan Workbook : Writing You Novel from Start to Finish Evan Marshall

  Writers Complete Fantasy Reference : An Indispensable Compendium of Myth
and Mag...Writer's Digest Books

  Writer's Guide to Character TraitsWriter's Guide to Character Traits
Edelstein,Linda N.,

  Write Great Fiction : Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint : (Techniques and
exercise...  Nancy Kress

  Book of Dialogue : How to Write Effective Conversation in Fiction,
Screenplays, ...  Turco, Lewis

  How to Write a Damn Good Novel  Frey, James N.

  How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II : Advanced Techniques for Dramatic
Storytelli...    Frey, James N.

  Grammatically Correct : The Writer's Essential Guide to Punctuation,
Spelling, S...  Stilman, Anne

   Howdunit : How Crimes Are Committed and Solved  Boertlein, John (EDT)

  Novelists Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes  Obstfeld, Raymond

  Here is one that I liked a lot. It's out of print now but you can get it
cheap through Amazon marketplace:
  Secrets of Successful Fiction (Hardcover)
by Robert Newton Peck

------------------------------------

I used Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway for my high school creative
writing class this year--it's awesome. It's a bit on the pricey side,
though, and it's structured to go with a college-level writing course. I
just used the book and copied portions for the students a few
times--mostly I summarized the ideas(while giving credit to the authors). 
If your nephew is high school or older, I would definitely recommend
this book, because it has a ton of useful tips. According to my friend who
teaches at a jr. college (and was a creative writing major), it's kind of
the "authority" on writing fiction.  Happy writing!

---------------------------------------------

I don't know how old your nephew is, but have you looked at "Bird by
Bird?" I bet many, many people have suggested that book to you. I believe
it's the best book on writing - and on life. YOU May want
to ask Santa for a copy for yourself this Christmas if you haven't read it
yet.


Thanks!
Nancy Dickinson, Librarian
Hillsboro Elem. School
Hillsboro, TN 37342
dickinsonn@k12coffee.net

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