Writing books and books for writing.

 

Do you ever wonder if there is one or two books out there that will help you write better or become a better writer? A book that will resonate with you and help you out of your writers block or slump?

Honestly, like self-help books, I think there is a little help and then you've got to pick yourself up and work. The best way to become a writer IS TO WRITE.

That being said...I do have a few favorite books about writing and for writing.

Writing Irresistible Kidlit by Mary Kole

Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to:

Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing.
Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership.
Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more.
Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords.
Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career.

If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you

Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland

Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:

Help you choose the right type of outline for you
Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas
Aid you in discovering your characters
Show you how to structure your scenes
Explain how to format your finished outline
Instruct you in how to use your outline
Reveal the benefits:
Ensures cohesion and balance
Prevents dead-end ideas
Provides foreshadowing
Offers assurance and motivation
Dispel misconceptions:
Requires formal formatting
Limits creativity
Robs the joy of discovery
Takes too much time
Even if you're certain outlining isn't for you, the book offers all kinds of important tips on plot, structure, and character.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories.

In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying emotion to the reader in a unique, compelling way. When showing our characters’ feelings, we often grab onto the first idea that comes to mind, and our characters end up smiling, shrugging, nodding, and frowning far too much.

Need some inspiration to get you beyond the basics? Inside The Emotion Thesaurus, you’ll find:

•75 emotion entries that list body language, thoughts, and visceral responses for each
•A breakdown of the biggest emotion-related writing problems and how to overcome them
•Body language and action cues that address both acute and suppressed forms of emotion
•Suggestions for each emotion that cover a range of intensity, from mild to extreme
•75 description tips on emotion, dialogue, characters, and setting

Editors, authors and teachers agree that The Emotion Thesaurus, in its easy-to-navigate list format, is a convenient and helpful brainstorming resource for any writing project. Discover the tool that will inspire you to create stronger, fresher character expressions and engage readers from your first page to your last.

Other winners:

Save the Cat! Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody

Whether you’re writing your first novel or your seventeenth, Save the Cat! breaks down plot in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method so you can write stories that resonate!

Romancing the Beat: Story Structure For Romance Novels by Gwen Hayes

Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address.

There you have it! A few book ideas for you! Do you have any writing books you'd recommend?

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Creating Character ARCS by K.M. Weiland

Powerful Character Arcs Create Powerful Stories

Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.

By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story.

This comprehensive book will teach you:
How to determine which arc—positive, negative, or flat—is right for your character.
Why you should NEVER pit plot against character. Instead, learn how to blend story structure and character development.
How to recognize and avoid the worst pitfalls of writing novels without character arcs.
How to hack the secret to using overarching character arcs to create amazing trilogies and series.
And much more! Gaining an understanding of how to write character arcs is a game-changing moment in any author’s pursuit of the craft.




Opening line: "What if there were a sure-fire secret to creating stunning character arcs?"


I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend to any writer, beginner or published.

Ms. Weiland discusses three basic arcs:
The positive Change Arc
The Flat Arc
 The Negative Change Arc

She goes into detail on each and what to write at each crucial points, like the midpoint. Each chapter was easy to read and understandable. And what I really liked was how she used examples from books and movies to explain her points. This is one I'm going to keep around and read with each new story I write.

How to title every book you ever write

I ran across this post last week and had to share it. It's hilarious! And actually might be a good idea. I tried out their ideas and came up with a few titles for my books.

Here's the link to the article:

How to title every book you ever write.

Here's the first example:

The Promising Debut Novel
Title: (Scent of your deodorant or shampoo) on (street you grew up on)
Example: Almonds on High Street

(If neither your deodorant or shampoo have a named scent, substitute the word “Mornings.”)
Now on to the second novel. Hailed as a new literary talent and tired of being asked if your first book’s main character was based on yourself, you’ll set your next book very slightly in the past (like the ’80s or ’90s, don’t get carried away) and it will center around a family secret. You have two title options, depending on whether your protagonist is male or female.


The Disappointing Sophomore Effort
Female
Title: The (your father’s profession)’s Daughter
Example: The Locksmith’s Daughter
 

Male
Title: Get out your favorite album. Rank the tracks in order of how much you like them. Take the fourth song. Print out the lyrics to that song and black out any that are well known. From the remaining lyrics, choose either the first or second half of a complete thought. Note: It must be meaningless and out of context.
Example: Funny How It Never Felt So Good


The Legacy-Building Important Literary Novel
Title: The (your first job title)s
Example: The Carhops
(If your first job title isn’t that evocative, like “event planner” or “clerk,” add the county in which you live. Example: The Event Planners of Cook County.)


Another Literary Novel to Prove the Last One Wasn’t a Fluke
Title: (your birth month)(third most populous city in the first foreign country you ever visited)
Example: December in Marseille


Your Agent Pointed Out That You Could Make Some Money Without Writing Anything New
Title: You’ll need a purse or briefcase or, if you don’t have either, open your messiest desk drawer. Close your eyes, reach in and grab whatever is in the very bottom or back. Add “The Wisdom of” before that item.
Example: The Wisdom of Eyeglasses


Here are my book titles taken from the above helps/examples:


Summerberries on California Street

Mornings on California Street

The Teacher's Daughter

And the Tables Turn

Santa's Helper

August in Taipei

The Wisdom of the Tiny Notebook

hahaha! These are great! Some sound a little racy. Maybe I'll write more romance. 

What about you? What were some of your titles?

Wednesday Writing with 2 Felines

Ah! Body language! Can you "read" a person? Have you ever talked to someone only to know they want to be somewhere else? How do you know? Are they looking over their shoulder? Or over yours? Do they check the time or say "yeah, yeah," pretending to listen?

Body language is a fantastic way to show, not tell. And a great way to fill out your character. Have you added body language? Will a reader know what emotions the character is feeling just by the way they stand or wave?

I got this cheat sheet from archtypewriting.com.