Writers often ask me if I have any particular recommendations of what books they should read. It’s a difficult question. Not because I can’t think of any, but because your main recommendation should be the books of other authors.
Not necessarily in your genre, either. I write dark fantasy and Gothic horror, but I love reading historical fiction and thrillers.
Reading a wide range of titles is a great way to subconsciously learn about story structure, character, and plot.
But sometimes you need a bit of a hand. So these are how-to-write books that I particularly recommend. They’re all affiliate links, but I wouldn’t include them if I didn’t think they were useful. Any pennies I make from you buying them pays for my web hosting!
Recommendations
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
52 Dates for Writers: Ride a Tandem, Assume an Alias and 50 Other Ways to Improve Your Novel Draft by Claire Wingfield
Story Engineering: Character Development, Story Concept, Scene Construction by Larry Brooks
Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton
Save the Cat!: The Only Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer’s Journey by Joanna Penn
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition by Rennie Brown and Dave King
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills
The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction by Brian Kiteley
Conflict, Action and Suspense by William Noble
Let me know if you have any other recommendations for books for fiction authors!
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