The road to success is always
Nature gave man two ends - one to sit on and one to think with. Ever since, man's success has been dependent on the one he uses most.
George R. Fitzpatrick
Beginning Writers:
-
GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon, Gryphon Books for Writers. This one is great because it uses familiar movies/stories (Wizard of Oz, Star Wars) as examples.
-
Dialogue by Lewis Turco, Writers Digest Books. Very basic with tons of examples about how to structure dialogue and its purpose beyond just giving a character something to say.
-
Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card, Writers Digest Books. If you are unsure about the terms "first person", "third person", or "omniscent point of view" this is a good addition to your library.
-
Show, Don't Tell by William Noble, Paul S. Eriksson publisher. Writing is about telling a story, however, good writers learn how to let the story unfold actively but showing what's happening.
-
Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain, Oklahoma University Press. A great comprehensive overview of constructing stories and writing them.
If you really want something, you
can figure out how to make it happen.
Cher
And for the more Advanced Writer:
-
Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias, WingSpan Press. There are three kinds of reactions to your reading - disinterest, boredom and WOW! Easy to read with thought provoking tips.
-
Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan, Writers Digest Books. Thought provoking book about the power of word choice and bringing your writing to a new level in terms of creative imagery.
-
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, Writers Digest Books. Interesting take on the business and how to create a big idea.
-
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Anchor Books. A funny, provocative and motivational take on the life and dilemmas of writers.