If you're just starting out in your writing, you may start to wonder if (a) what you're doing is "right" and/or (b) how do the Real Deals do it?
When I first started writing "for real," I didn't really care. I had this loose idea of how authors did it and just went with it. I wish that I could rewind to that state of mind because I actually got stuff done back then. I wrote in such a carefree way--it sucked...I mean, like you wouldn't believe--but I was writing, and I loved it. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
Then of course I'd want to turn on my current brain to edit, because my current brain knows what it's doing. Being in the state of mind where I'm hyper aware of my writing actions...it can suck. Because I'm super aware of what I'm doing wrong. It stops up my writing to where I'll go months without writing a thing.
My dad got me a book that I still use to this day. It seems that whenever I start on a new project, I pull it out and basically re-read it. I reference it so often that it's falling apart on me.
So my first recommendation is:
Your First Novel by Laura Whitcomb and Ann Rittenberg
(Ann Rittenberg is actually listed first on the cover, but I switched the order of their names because Laura Whitcomb goes first in the book. Haha.)
This is my go-to book on writing. I'm currently starting it over again and annotating and underlining. Laura Whitcomb wrote a fantastic book called A Certain Slant of Light and it was the first young adult book that I called "my favorite". She knows what she's doing. She outlines techniques so well. Me, I'm a list person, and I can still understand what she's saying. She points out things that may seem obvious, but you realize that you might have been going at it the wrong way.
Her advice on starting, writing, and revising your book is so wonderful.
My copy of Your First Novel is, like I said, falling apart. The film on the front cover is peeling back, there are about two dozen flags sticking out from the sides, and the spine is broken in one place where I'd creased it so many times (Characters and Exposition, chapter 4).
I've had it for years and I still say it's The One you want to check out.
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This second one is also by Laura Whitcomb!
Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb
Again, she knows what she's talking about. Here, Ms. Whitcomb talks about the things she wishes she'd thought of when writing her first draft. This was great for me in several places, because one of the things she suggests is mind maps for characters and main ideas. I'm a very list/visual-oriented person. So that really helps me out.
In Novel Shortcuts, Whitcomb goes into detail about how to tackle scenes, how to find the "moments" in your story, and what to do when you feel it all should go in the bin.
I highly recommend it, especially if you are already a fan of Your First Novel and want more of Whitcomb's advice.
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I'd first checked this book out at the library and loved it so much I bought it.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
I pulled a lot of quotes from this book to hang around my desk. Even though Ms. Lamott doesn't write in my preferred genre (I've never read any of her other books), her advice for writing in general. Her third chapter ("Shitty First Drafts" p. 21 paperback edition) is fantastic. I used to read it everyday before I started writing.
The overall theme of her book is to take everything "bird by bird" meaning "one at a time". It's so easy to get overwhelmed with what you want to put in your book and how you're going to get it there and then make it work. It's enough to scare away even a seasoned veteran.
Ms. Lamott's easy writing style is underlined by a sadistic, almost self-deprecating sense of humor. It makes it easier to understand where she's coming from and makes it so much more enjoyable to read, overall. Her short chapters make it easy to use it as a "daily dose" source of inspiration.
what are some of your favorite writing books?
