I’m a sucker for a good craft book. I can spend hours nerding out on writing advice, highlighting all the juicy nuggets of wisdom throughout the pages. I’m sure I’m keeping the post-it companies in business with the number of sticker tabs I use as I read each new book.
That being said, not every craft book I’ve read has resonated with my process. Some gave me other ways to think about things. Some felt too complicated and stifling in their rigidity. Like any books, craft books are a matter of personal taste. What one author raves about, another puts down after reading only a few pages, or skimming through the sections.
So here’s a list of five craft books that I enjoyed reading and learning from and a link where to purchase them or read more about them:
1. The Scene Book – A Primer for the Fiction Writer (Sandra Scofield)
https://www.sandrajscofield.com/the_scene_book__a_primer_for_the_fiction_writer_131471.htm
2. The Last Draft – A Novelist’s Guide to Revision (Sandra Scofield)
https://www.sandrajscofield.com/the_last_draft__a_novelist_s_guide_to_revision_131285.htm
3. Writing the Break Out Novel (Donald Maass)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151532.Writing_the_Breakout_Novel
** there’s also a workbook for this one***
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151535.Writing_the_Breakout_Novel_Workbook
4. The Emotion Thesaurus (Angela Ackeman & Becca Puglist)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43666740-the-emotion-thesaurus
5. Make a Scene – Writing a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time (Jordan Rosenfeld)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32585982
If you’d like to see what types of Post-It flags I use, here’s a link to Amazon.com:
Feel free to share any craft book recommendations in the comments.
Happy Writing.