On Craft | shuna-meade-author

BOOKS ON CRAFT

In the spirit of sharing, I've read a number of books on the craft of writing - some have been useful, otheres not. I guess it's a question of taste and what works for you. Here are the ones I've found helpful on my journey.

Hooked by Les Egerton

Help with that all important opening to a novel - the term 'Inciting Incident' now makes sense!

Rock Your Plot by Cathy Yardley

Cathy has read all the books on the craft of writing and has taken the best of each and written a simple, easy to follow book on plotting. I have used her 1 hour Plot Coach sessions for my most recent books and have found them invaluable - a worthwile investment.

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson

After 'pantsing' my first two novels and struggling to manipulate them into a useable structure, this method of expanding paragraphs really helped. It stresses the importance of character driving the plot by developing each side in tandem. It covers everything you need to craft a novel, marrying theme, plot, structure, character, setting etc into a useable detailed outline BEFORE you write a word. I wish I'd found this book earlier!

Creativity Rules! by John Vorhaus

I use this book a lot - it's written in a different way from most books on craft and it clicked with me. I'm a huge fan of John's humour and way of explaining things. If I could buy shares in one book on craft, this would be the one.

Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King

Invaluable advice and worth reading from cover to cover then re-reading.

On Writing by Stephen King

Some valuable advice and a great insight into how a successful author struggled.

The Writer's Essential Tackle Box by Lynn Price

A great general reference and resourse for the publishing industry and how it really works, told by an agent and author, Lynn Price.

Write A Great Synopsis by Nicola Morgan

This does exactly what it says on the tin - a no-nonsense practical guide through the process.

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

These ladies know what they're talking about - I followed their website for years and found it incredibly useful as a resource. The book is an absolute gem. I must have for any writer's reference section.