There are tons of books for writers on the shelves today. You walk into B&N or Borders, and you're inundated with how-tos. You want to write a fantasy novel, they got a book to tell you how. Mysteries? Yep. Romance–oh yeah. There are creative writing kits in a box, books of writing exercises, prompts, inspiration, etc. You can find out how to write poetry or how to write articles. There's even a book on how to write in Paris.
The variety's amazing, really, and I always get stuck browsing those shelves and deciding if there are any books I'd like to take home. Many of them are duplicating the same information, quite honestly. Some are a waste of money. I leave it to you to make up your own mind.
Here is a book I didn't take seriously at first:
Why not? Well, you open it up and it's full of graphics. In one case, there's only one word on that fancy page. It's silly almost. And yet, this book is fabulous! It took me a while to realize that, I admit. It also didn't hurt that Professor Goldsberry is a local author and that he came to speak to our RWA chapter. He is a literary author and a University of Hawaii creative writing instructor and he did not, for even a second, look down his nose at the romance writers. I was impressed, not only with his attitude, but also with his no nonsense approach to teaching (and he didn't like all those graphics either, but it wasn't his decision).
The 101 rules are golden. It's a fun book and it's full of good advice. In light of the debate on suspense raging elsewhere (here and here), here's a rule I stumbled across while rereading just today that made a lot of sense to me:
Rule #53: The first duty of the writer is to entertain.
An excerpt from the rule: “Readers lose interest with exposition and abstract philosophy. They're here because they want stories. They want to see things. Be entertained. But they will feel cheated if, in the course of entertaining, you haven't taught them something. Remember the great dictum of Horace, who said writing must ‘delight and instruct.' But delight first.”
This is one book I keep close, if only for the inspiration that reading the rules provides. Check it out for yourself.
Ah, golden rules. I thought there was only one.
I had a pastor of a Baptist church in Virginia condense the Bible down to one passage, the Golden Rule.
I try to live by it, but it is hard. Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out. I am going to jion the Writers Digest Bookclub and I saw this book on the list.
I like the new look, I’m working on one for me.
You know, I recently got rid of all but three of my writing books. I bought, kept, and never never read! I’m sure they may have actually given me what I was looking for if I took time to read them, LOL, but never did. I just plodded through on my own or with help from critique buddies. For me, writing books were like looking for the secret handshake, and I only found it in the three I kept!
Hi, R.J. Thanks for the comment, and I’m glad you like the new look. 🙂 I do recommend this book, but be aware, as I said, that it’s filled with goofy graphics. Professor Goldsberry wasn’t thrilled with that at all, but the WD people said it appealed to a younger audience. Okay, whatever. 🙂
When he came to talk to us, he told us that he originally had around 50 rules. WD kept expanding it and asking him to come up with more. He was a bit exasperated with them, and his copy of the book was full of little corrections he made to the text. LOL! Writers are never satisfied.
Hi, Alison! Oh my goodness, I know what you mean about writing books you’ve never read. I inherited some, from a friend, that I just can’t seem to give away, even though I haven’t read them yet. I keep thinking that one day I’ll need the answer to a pressing question and it will be inside one of those books. LOL!
I do have 3 or 4 I really like and refer back to. Dwight Swain, of course, DD’s GMC, and Browne and King’s Self-Editing. Those are probably the 3 most used. But I just can’t part with the others yet. I might need an answer. LOL.
Hi Lynn! Saw you comment over at my blog so thought I’d stop by . . . and you have a post on something I’m researching … craft books. I’m ordering this one because I’m doing a workshop on The Art of Storytelling and I love Rule #53. It’s perfect.
My favorite craft books are also the Self-Editing book you mention (and the first one I ever bought); Maass’s BREAKOUT book; Stephen King’s ON WRITING; and Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY. I’ve found that people who love Deb’s GMC book are so-so on Vogler, and vice-versa, but the truth is they are very similar but the information is presented differently (which is one of the points I make in my workshop.)
Anyway, thanks for your kind comments! I was floored and surprised by the NYT showing but very happy 🙂 Nice blog you have here!
Hi, Allison! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 Oh, I love Stephen King’s book. So inspiring. I also love Stephen Koch’s The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop. And Vogler too.
That’s interesting what you’ve found about Vogler vs GMC. I hadn’t really thought of it that way, I guess because my master’s thesis uses archetypal criticism to analyze four novels of Virginia Woolf. I have read Campbell’s original book, but I really love Vogler for the eye-opening “how this applies to writers” thing. 🙂 I gave a workshop at a local conference last year about the Hero’s Journey in fiction. GMC really clarified some things for me though. I agree with you that they work together.
Congrats again on your NYT showing. I’m sure you must have been floored, but so happy too. I’ll be picking up the others in the series as well. 🙂 I look forward to reading them.