‘How To/Writing Advice’ Book Reviews

 

The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction

By C.S. Lakin

“The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction takes the mystery out of building a solid story and shows you how to go from idea to complete novel in practical, easy-to-understand steps.
Build smart!”

The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction by C.S. Lakin is one of the best ‘How To’ books on planning your novel I have ever read. The book is broken down into 12 question about 12 topic headers and will allow you to flesh out even the most intricate details before you actually sit down to write. I used this method on my latest book to fantastic results. I highly recommend this read to any author who is preparing to write a new novel. Give it a consideration for your next ‘How To’ book purchase.

 

Plot Versus Character: A Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction

byJeff Gerke

I am a plot-first writer. However, I am desperately trying to become an even mixture of a plot/character driven writer. This book does a great job of helping the plot-driven writer as well as the character-driven writer get an appreciation, understanding, as well as allowing them to become more open to the other side of attacking a novel. It is extremely well written in a way that keeps you wanting to know more and more and more. I think this one is good starting point for any writer wanting to improve upon either plot or character structure. Also, for a mere $9.89 on the Kindle store for 274 pages of priceless information, I would say it’s worth checking out.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8328280-plot-versus-character

The Writer’s Guide to Psychology: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior

by:Carolyn Kaufman

An accurate and accessible survey of modern psychological theory and practice, this reference offers professional writers practical advice for incorporating psychological elements into their work. With easy-to-understand explanations and definitions, this book is an invaluable resource for any writer wishing to add realistic details to scenes that depict psychologists, mental illnesses and disorders, and psychotherapeutic treatments.

I have a tendency to give at least one of my characters some sort of mental disorder, I don’t know why. So, when I found this book, I was elated. The information within its pages is invaluable to any writer attempting to portray a character with a mental illness. I highly recommend it for anyone wishing to correctly show the symptoms, treatment, and overall attitude of a character with any given mental disability. You can find it in the Kindle store for $8.69, and you get 250 pages worth of information.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8430527-the-writer-s-guide-to-psychology

Tell, Don’t Show

byJames Lofquist

This book will dramatically change the way you write your next first draft. And your next, and your next… The technique I share within these pages is extremely easy to learn and do. You will be able to start using it now, today, and see immediate differences in your writing.

For those of you writers out there in wonderland who are new to the craft of writing fiction like I am, I’m sure you have come across some perplexing concepts that just won’t sink into the brain. For me one of those concepts is ‘Show, Don’t Tell’. I could never quite grasp the meaning of that three-word phrase until I read SHOW & TELL IN A NUTSHELL by Jessica Bell which I highly recommend by the way. However, when I came across this wonderful little book called TELL, DON’T SHOW I was immediately intrigued. This amazing book takes the idea of ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ and flips it on it’s head revealing an amazingly easy way to get your ideas and thoughts down in minimal time so you can ride the wave of creative juices all the way through to the end of your first draft without getting bogged down and losing track of where it is you want to go. This book is incredible, and for only .99 ¢ on the Kindle store, you can’t beat it.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17296621-tell-don-t-show

Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing
byJessica Bell

Have you been told there’s a little too much telling in your novel? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!

In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing.

I found this little gem on the Kindle store, and I have to say that it has been the most informative book on the subject of ‘Show Don’t Tell’ I’ve come across yet. The examples given inside are straightforward and easily show the concept behind this writing dilemma for new writers. I would highly suggest it to anyone who has questions about this subject. And, for only $1.99 on Kindle, it’s worth a look at.

Inserted from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16126826-show-tell-in-a-nutshell

Writing Fiction For Dummies

byRandy Ingermanson , Peter Economy

 

“Writing Fiction for Dummies” is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author.

This was my first ‘How To’ purchase and at first I was completely overwhelmed by it, lots of information to consume. But, it covers pretty much every aspect of writing that a new writer, like me, may be absolutely unaware of. It is set up in a way that you can go to any section of the book to learn more about a particular subject without having read the previous chapters, but it seems a lot of ‘How To’ books are set up this way. I’m currently reading a few other ‘How To’ books that I think are much better than this one but for me, it was a good start. If you’re interested in this one, it’s only $4.99 for Kindle, and you get 384 pages worth of info–not too shabby.

Inserted from <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6664615-writing-fiction-for-dummies>

Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

ByK.M. Weiland

Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal.

Now, I haven’t been writing creatively for very long, but when I started I had a fairly simple process I went through to get my story out. It usually went something like this: 1) Have an idea for a title 2) Come up with a beginning 3) Come up with an end 4) Start writing 5) Get frustrated beyond belief 6) Set the story aside and start on the next ‘great’ idea. I did this for a few months and got so down on myself that I wondered how anyone could write anything without suicide being a constant option. Well, after reading a few ‘How To’ books I found that I was what was called a ‘Panser’, someone who has an idea and just sits down to bang it out with not much forethought as to how the story would unfold. I can’t say that the alternative to this style, outlining, sounded like very much fun. I mean seriously, outlining? To me, that equated to going to the dentist to get a root canal—not fun.

This little book has opened my eyes to a whole new world when it comes to the creative process of writing. While I’m still getting used to using outlines to flesh out my stories before I start actually writing, I’ve noticed a lot of changes thanks to this eye-opening book; The biggest being that I write with more confidence and that my friends were a HUGE step forward for me. So, if you’re one of those out there that think outlining is not for you then maybe you should give this little gem a look. I found it in the Kindle store for $3.99, but you might be able to get it at a better price at K.M. Weiland’s website.

http://www.kmweiland.com/

 Inserted from <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12786668-outlining-your-novel>