Writing books

Hooked, by Les Edgerton

***

In the first few pages of your novel, you are trying to do a number of things simultaneously.  You want them to get a feel for the world, sense the genre, come to sympathize with the main character, see internal and external conflict, inform the reader that your work is unique, get your main character active instead of just being acted upon and put the reader under hypnosis.  The list goes on and on.  It was a dark and stormy night isn’t just a bad opening because it’s cliché and a stupid weather report.  It’s also bad because it poses no questions and answers even less.  Les Edgerton has written two hundred pages on what might go through an author’s head before penning that first paragraph.  Sure, it’s unlikely that all of the things on the list get addressed within the first page, but writers need to be aware of what is and isn’t checked off the list by the time the reader turns the page.

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

*****

The title really should be what you need to know so that you don’t have to edit 99% of your story before it’s worth publishing.  The book skims a lot of topics, but all the right ones and dead on at every turn.  If I was teaching a class on writing, this book would be required reading.  In fact, if I did, all I’d have to do is say, “Read the book?  Great.  I’m confident you’re all twice the author you were before you started this class.  Class dismissed.”

Noah Lukeman, everything, but in particular, The First Five Pages and A Dash of Style

*****  ****

The second book I’d require for the class is The First Five Pages.  It hits lots of topics in an easy to read format that will guarantee to make your writing better in two days of reading.  A Dash of Style puts a whole new spin on what punctuation is all about.  Put your grammar book in the closet.  This makes it simple and converts punctuation into a tool authors can enjoy.  Good to read The Elements of Style too, to put it into perspective.

Writer’s Guide to Fiction, by Cathleen Rountree

**

I mention this book because I read a portion where the author said that most new authors write pure omniscient point of view.  Then it went on to say that most fiction was pure omniscient POV.  The first part of that is right because almost everybody starts out doing it wrong.  The second part of that is just stupid.  I don’t think I’ve ever read a published work of fiction (excluding one self-published item that was a total mess) that was pure omniscient.  So, good book, but the POV section seems to have been written by someone who hasn’t read anything since the Bible.  The operative word there is anything.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James Frey

***

Classic stuff, covering lots of good topics that will make any writer better in two days of reading.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel II, by James Frey

***

Same as the first book, only different stuff.  I only disagree on one of his points about POV, where he contends that 3^rd person limited is not the only way to do 3^rd person.  He’s right.  And, he’s wrong.  He’s right if you know POV.  If the writer has never handled 3^rd person limited right, however, I think it’s pretty automatic that they can’t handle something fifty times more complex.  That is kind of like saying, one can do calculus and doesn’t have to do arithmetic.  Sure, do calculus.  But, if you can’t do arithmetic, uh, maybe we should take a second look at what we’re saying here.  I’m sure James would agree, but our debate on this is obviously not in the book.

The Power of Point of View, by Alisia Rasley

***

I mention this book because it crawls all over the topic of POV.  And, like most books devoted to the topic in depth, it models the topic in its own way, and lays out full explanations on every possibility.  I have seen POV broken down into a dozen different categories by several authors.  Good to know all that junk.  Also dangerous.  Contrast this to the way Self-Editing for Fiction Writers deals with it.  Renni Browne simply says, there are three possibilities, 1^st person, 3^rd person limited, and omniscient, and for anybody who isn’t a master, the number of options are two, 1^st person and 3^rd limited.  I get that.  It makes infinite sense for just about everybody.  So anyway, POV by Alisia Rasley tells you lots of detailed stuff that is good to know, but mostly not all that applicative to the craft.

Write Great Fiction - Dialogue, By Gloria Kempton

***

Dialogue is really a matter of finding a way of living in your characters’ skin.  Of course, Gloria helps you try to get there.  The part on structuring credits is very nice.  If your dialogue isn’t moving you forward in plot on a continual basis, read this.  It will help you along.  Then you still have to find ways to crawl into your characters’ skin.  You know you’ve arrived at this place when you can get rid of all of your credits and readers still know who is talking and acting on the stage.

On Writing, by Stephen King

***

Okay, here is a guy who is worth hundreds of millions of bucks, who writes 4000 words, without a plot outline, every day, while sitting at a desk by the trash cans in the corner of his garage.  He put his family through poverty while sending out hundreds of enquiries, and somewhere after his tenth or so novel and ten years of finger numbing work, someone noticed that he was good enough to print.  It might be worth knowing what authors do.  The part about alcoholism is worth the read.  I cannot believe how much I agreed with his comments on writing techniques.

Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook

***

If you want to sell your work, you might want to read a good book about how to do it.