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I cannot read enough about the craft of writing. I love it especially when the author offers insight to how he or she does what they do. That doesn’t mean I want to copy it, but there may be something in there that I haven’t yet considered. It’s like digging around the library and finding books you didn’t know you needed to read.
To the left is my writing reference library sans dictionaries. I just added a few titles over the last week and have been enjoying digging through them. The new titles are listed below with review snippets to give you an idea of their content:
The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot – I’ve yet to really settle into this one. Once I’ve finished my latest draft of Shadow of the Black City, I’ll take time to go through the who thing.
Here’s a an excerpt from a Publishers Weekly review to give you an idea of the contents: …as the brief chapters of this little book build on each other, Baxter’s observations-which initially seem more like interesting rhetorical devices than substantive arguments-gain clarity and momentum, and the accumulation of anecdotal asides about writers’ workshops and former students turn them from annoying interjections into helpful indicators of Baxter’s relationship with literature. Many of the issues raised in this volume are as old as the study of literature itself, but Baxter’s ability to ask unusual and incisive questions of familiar topics (Why is the volatility of Dostoyevsky’s characters so unpleasant? Why is it so difficult-and yet so vital-to describe facial features?) makes this little volume worthwhile for the engaged student of literature. – Publishers Weekly
Self-Editing for Writers – (Thanks to Sara McClung for the recommendation!) I’ve read about 50 pages of this one. The information on show v. tell is particularly useful. The chapter on characterization and exposition has great, succinct examples of good and bad uses of both
Creating Short Fiction – I read all the way through it and look forward to reading it again. There’s a lot of good stuff in there that is useful not only for short fiction, but for all fiction. Knight divides the book into six parts: Developing Your Talent as a Writer, Idea into Story, Beginning a Story, Controlling a Story, Finishing a Story, and Being a Writer.
From Jeff VanderMeer Booklifenow.com – Knight was known for his science fiction writing, but this guide is much more universal than that and steeped in the wisdom of fifty years of writing fiction. Perhaps more importantly, Knight includes diagrams of various plot structures. Early on, this helped me visualize my plots as diagrams and sometimes enabled me to spot structural problems as a result. His thoughts on “form” are also useful to beginning and intermediate writers.
Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers -Because I have only skimmed this one, here’s VanderMeer’s assessment of this work from Booklifenow.com – Madden breaks fiction down into its components (like character, theme, setting, etc.) and then creates subcategories of possible problems you may be having in your work. He uses examples of these problems from the drafts of books and stories by famous writers, and then shows you how the writer fixed the problem in the final draft. Just being able to see an early paragraph from The Great Gatsby and compare it to the published version is invaluable, but Madden’s advice and commentary make this my favorite writing book of all time.
Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft – I just got this one two days ago so here’s the info from the back cover – The most widely used and respected book on writing fiction, Writing Fiction guides the writer from first inspiration to final revision. Supported by an abundance exercises, this guide/anthology explores and integrates the elements of fiction while offering practical techniques and concrete examples. A focus on the writing process in its entirety provides a comprehensive guide to writing fiction, approaching distinct elements in separate chapters while building on what has been covered earlier. Topics include free-writing to revision, plot, style, characterization, dialogue, atmosphere, imagery, and point of view.
Narrative Design – I’ve read the first short story and accompanying notes. Bell breaks down each story in terms of plot, character, tone, point of view, dialogue and design. Other elements such as time management, imagery and description, and suspense are addressed where appropriate. The story was enjoyable, and the analysis helped drive home some techniques and opened up possibilities for my writing. I look forward to delving into the other 11.
That should be enough to chew on for a couple of months. I got a few recommendations for Bird by Bird, which I plan to track down through our library system. It’s a 50/50 proposition at best. If I can’t get it that way, I’ll break down and by a used copy somewhere.
I’m jealous!
If we had a decent library in these parts, I might be more inclined to use their references than buy every book that interests me. I would rather save the $$$. It is fun, though, to see my library grow!
oooo I’m glad you’re liking the self-editing one 🙂
I expect I’ll turn to that one frequently, binding be damned. Thanks again for the recommendation!
I read Strunk & White on recommendation. It was definitely helpful, but not the easiest book to read (I still don’t understand some of the rules, even after reading them ten times). The next book on my wishlist is Elements of Style.
Thanks for posting this list!
oops, I meant to say “Chicago Manual of Style” is next on my list….
Yeah, I should probably add that to mine. Maybe I’ve avoided it because of the shivery flashbacks to my undergrad journalism days toiling over the AP Style Manual. Thanks for stopping in!
Nice summaries, thank you.
Strunk & White is the only writing book on my shelf. I suppose I should read more on the subject if I ever want to take this past hobby status!
You’re very welcome. I suspect you can take your writing past hobby status even without these books. I think writing is the first thing (alright, maybe second after homebrewing beer) that I really enjoy that has tons of books written on the subject. When I get stuck, it’s nice to be able to turn to the writing library rather than the internet because I can take the books anywhere and not be distracted.
I love the photo!
Great summaries – do you have a fovorite (s)?
That stack made me feel rich in a way only books can do! My current faves are On Writing, because it is as engaging to read as King’s books, and Story, because it makes the structure of story so accessible. They top the list because I am most familiar with them. Creating Short Fiction and Self Editing for Fiction Writers, which I have only just read, are both quite helpful and look to be well-used references over time.
did you find story good for fiction writing?
I really really have to read On Writing – it keeps coming up!
My wife listened to the audiobook of On Writing and enjoyed it immensely and she doesn’t write! It may be a bit light on writing mechanics, but you’ve gotta love the way King presents writing in a workman’s light rather than a gooey confection of inspiration and mystery.
Despite the screenwriting perspective, Story still addresses the things that drive scenes, characters and the overall story. It also gets at the three-act structure pretty well and what moves the story from Act I to Act II and Act II to Act III. It also provides a way to break down your scenes and evaluate them for effectiveness. In short, it would be money well-spent.
I see you have my two favourite writing books up there, Stephen King’s On Writing and The Elements of Style. This week two different people recommended Dorothea Brand’s Becoming a Writer to me. I believe it’s out of print now but I’m going to try to track down a copy online.
There’s something about the way King presents the world of writing that is so accessible. It was that book that spurred me back into writing. I wish he would write more about writing.
Wow, you sure do have a lot of reference books! Good on you for studying.
I reached the saturation point sometime in May and took a few months off from reading about writing. Probably for the best. I’m just about done with my 3rd draft and am ready to revisit some of those books to inform the next round of revisions. I love to read about writing. Unfortunately, no matter how much I read, I still need to park my butt in the chair and get to work:-)