Jumping right into this, I’m listing these from what I found most helpful to least helpful. That said, I did find something of value in all of them so I do suggest you check them all out, even if you don’t wind up reading them.
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
- The nuts-and-bolts of editing your novel.
- Why I liked it: This is the first book on editing I’ve read which actually goes into the mechanics of editing on a word-by-word level. This isn’t a book about grammar, but about refining your style.
- A Re-Review of ‘Hyperfocus’ by Chris Baily. Also, an Update at the end.
- Not actually a book on writing, buuut I include it anyway because it provides solid advice for carving time out of your schedule to write.
- Why I liked it: Sometimes the hard part of writing isn’t writing, but finding time to write.
- A Review of ‘Save the Cat! Writes a Novel’ by Jessica Brody
- One of the easier methods for discovering your novel’s structure, spelled out with numerous examples.
- ‘2000 to 10000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love’ by Rachel Aaron
- Solid advice on how to increase your wordcount, improve your productivity
- Why I liked it: The author uses an unprepossessing tone which made her advice approachable.
- A Review of ‘The Heroine’s Journey” by Gail Carriger
- This provided new insight for me into the topics of both the Heroine’s Journey and also the Hero’s Journey
- A Review of ‘Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting’ by Robert McKee
- A bit pompous, but also well written and contains valuable information on the why of writing. What is the message you’re putting to page? How do you go about that message? That is the question this book tries to answer.
- Why I liked it: I liked the pompousness. The author approaches storytelling from a unique perspective- namely, that of a snooty movie reviewer. I find that perspective far outside of my everyday experience, and with that perspective I gained new knowledge.
- A Review of ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King
- A humble, insightful book by Stephen King on his writing method
- Why I liked it: King does a good job of contrasting everyday inspirations with the struggles he’s had as an author. Both autobiography and advice.
- ‘5000 Words Per Hour’ by Chris Fox
- Gotta go fast!
- Why I liked it: Gotta go fast!
- ‘Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques’ Book Review
- Good for beginners. I listened to the audiobook version, and I didn’t love the audio. Maybe if there’s a video version that would be better.
- Why I liked it: Covers all the major topics on writing; plotting, pacing, characterization…
John Mendez- Book Reviews and More 