Recommended Books for Writers

GMC: GOAL, MOTIVATION & CONFLICT, by Debra Dixon (ISBN: 0-9654371-0-8; Gryphon Books for Writers; 1996). -- Loaded with charts and examples from famous movies, this book familiarizes writers with the essential "building blocks of good fiction." It provides the clearest explanation of the internal and external character journeys that I've ever come across. My copy is highlighted from beginning to end; the chapter on the Big Black Moment is probably the most turned-to in my entire reference library. This book is useful for writers of any genre, but occasionally spotlights special issues arising in romance and romance sub-genres.

THE WRITER'S JOURNEY, 2ND EDITION: MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS, by Christopher Vogler (ISBN: 0-941188-70-1; Michael Wiese Productions; 1998). -- The first part of this book explores the various possible roles that characters perform at any given time in a story. This provides a launching pad for the main body of the book, which deals in depth with plot structure in its raw form. Far from an unimaginative paint by-number workbook, The Writer's Journey educates writers in the principles governing satisfying story structures. The instructional narrative draws examples primarily from The Wizard of Oz, but is also peppered with examples from 125 other movies.

TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER, by Dwight V. Swain (ISBN: 0-8061-1191-7; University of Oklahoma Press; 1965). -- The classic how-to reference manual for all writers. It explores in practical detail (with plenty of examples, thank goodness!) everything from word usage, to the proper arrangement of sentences, to building scenes, to structuring plot. This is a very meaty book that's impossible to absorb in one read-through. Whenever I pick it up to refresh my knowledge of a particular storytelling principle, I get caught up reading more than I originally intended because the learning from this book never quits.

WRITING AND SELLING YOUR NOVEL, by Jack M. Bickham (ISBN: 0-89879-788-8; Writer's Digest Books; 1996). -- Swain was Bickham's mentor, and many of Swain's storytelling principles are repackaged in this book. Bickham inserts lots of examples to help illustrate concepts like viewpoint, stimulus and response, and scene and sequel. Take the time to do the assignments. Bickham's style is so clear and easy-to understand that it's tempting to assume we've grasped the point and then rush ahead to the next section, but a wealth of learning awaits us in the opportunities to apply Bickham's excellent teaching. This book laid an invaluable foundation for helping me understand Swain's book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.

SETTING, by Jack M. Bickham (ISBN: 0-89879-948-1; Writer's Digest Books; 1994). -- Every well-written novel utilizes the principles regarding setting that Bickham explores in this book. Chapter Two, on the effective presentation of the five sense impressions, is invaluable, but the learning doesn't stop there. The section on handling setting during scene transitions is detailed and logical. He teaches writers how to craft the setting as an essential part of the story by tracking its impact on character, plot, and theme. As in most of Bickham's superb how-to books, examples are generously supplied to illustrate important concepts.

ARE YOU MY TYPE, AM I YOURS? by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele (ISBN: 0-06 251248-X; HarperCollins; 1995). -- This Enneagram-derived personality book is a fun and quick reference for building characters and exploring relationship combinations. Pen-and-ink illustrations punctuate sections describing best/worst traits, how personality types react differently under stress, famous people who express a specific personality type, and things certain personality types would never dream of doing. My favorite section organizes all the possible combinations of personality types into pairs, listing four to five things that each likes/dislikes about the other (a gold mine for developing interpersonal conflict). There's a helpful chapter in the back keying the Enneagram types to the popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Renni Browne and Dave King (ISBN: 0-06-272046-5; HarperCollins; 1993). -- After the story is down on paper, it still needs polishing in order to catch an editor's eye and a reader's imagination. Browne and King use comparison examples to teach basic principles like show-and-tell, point of view, dialogue mechanics, interior monologue, and beats--golden tools that, when wielded knowledgeably, smooth stories into gleaming works of art. A must-have for serious authors; it will shave years off a writer's learning curve.

EVERY PAGE PERFECT by Mary Lynn (ISBN: 0-9710143-0-2; Lynnx Ink; Fourth Edition 2001). -- An illustrated guide to formatting manuscripts and submissions, with detailed directons for polishing any kind of presentation to a high luster. Includes chapters on non-fiction, poetry, articles, short stories, novels, and more!