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My Favourite Books About Writing A Novel

boat at a pier illustrating an article on books about writing a novelThere are many books about writing a novel available to writers and some are a pleasure to read.

However, it is important to be aware of the different stages of the writing journey and choose those most appropriate.

THE PREPARATION STAGE

Books that focus on developing your creative mind are great during the preparation or thinking stage.

But there is a time when the preparation period ends.

THE ACTIVE STAGE

Let the writing begin. Okay, so you have thought about your story. You may have been doing creative writing exercises.

You might have written notes. Maybe even outlined your novel.

At this stage you need to learn the mechanics and knowing some basic rules helps.

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE MECHANICS OF WRITING?

There are many books on writing a novel that deal with the actual mechanics and it is hard to pick a favourite.

Stephen King – On Writing.

Truth is, I have lots of favourites and one of them is Stephen King’s On Writing.

Whether you like King’s books or not, is irrelevant.

This book is a must read if you truly want to learn about the nuts and bolts of writing a novel.

I personally found the book very inspiring, particular the memoir aspect.

King had nothing handed to him on a plate but worked hard at his craft from an early age.

The memoir is funny too, particularly when he recalls bumping into ‘real’ people who, as he says himself, could have been characters from his own stories.

The chapter about his accident and the man who caused it was certainly jaw-dropping. Be careful who you write about!

But, what really grabbed me was the way King approached his writing.

From the very beginning he approached it like a business. He was disciplined, but still hugely creative.

old ruined house in Ireland - illustrating an article on books about writing a novel He is a real professional and wrote constantly from the start, nailing all those rejection slips to a wall and refusing to ever give up.

Instead of letting all those rejections drive him to despair he used them to learn to drive him further.

He was relentless and dedicated and was continually striving to improve.

To do this he wrote, wrote, and wrote some more.

But On Writing is not just about putting the words on the page.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WRITE A GOOD SENTENCE?

On Writing is also about how to put the words on the page.

He answers the toughest questions writers have to struggle with and is particularly strong when he talks about sentence construction.

King is even stronger on the sheer mechanics of writing with great clarity.

Too many people think that good writing is about producing complicated, unreadable and unwieldy sentences.

Good writing doesn’t need shoulder-pads – the words should stand up straight on their own.

Let’s be honest it’s a rare writer who doesn’t over-egg the pudding now and again.

If you suspect your sentences could use some paring down you can’t fail to learn from this book.

King uses real examples to demonstrate how a sentence should and should not be constructed.

Again, whether you like his writing or not, King’s work has proved marketable time and time again and he has a lot of practical wisdom to share.

ARE YOU BUSINESS LIKE?

The business of writing is difficult for so many writers. A lot of us, including me I must confess, tend to be quiet, introverted types who prefer to spend their time alone with their thoughts and laptops.

Yet the business side of writing cannot be avoided if we want to write books that people actually want to buy.

King gives us a great insight into the business side of writing.

He includes a real sample of a great query letter, which is lighthearted yet business like.

The query letter is something which a lot of writers find difficult. I was no different.

I put his advice into practice many times and found it extremely successful.

On Writing is well worth buying even if just to learn how to do this.

‘The Craft of Novel-Writing’ by Dianne Doubtfire.

Another book I recommend reading is The Craft of Novel-Writing’ by Dianne Doubtfire.

This is another great reference tool for you to use during the active stage of writing. 

This is a time when you really need to focus on the activity of writing.

By this I mean the nuts, bolts and writing-tools you need to get the words on the page.

Why this book? Firstly, it is concise. Before you think I am recommending a book based on size rather than quality. I am not.

I am recommending this book because it does not pollute or confuse the mind and therefore the writing, with too much irrelevant instruction and information.

What do I mean by that? You see, the approximate average length of a novel is between 70,000 and 150,000 words.

Of course, there are much larger and smaller but to make it easier I am staying with averages.

CAN YOU KEEP A FIRM GRIP ON YOUR NOVEL ?

Using the smaller novel as an example, 70,000 words represent roughly one hundred and fifty pages.

Each of these pages contains about 200 words. This is a huge amount of ideas and words to hold in your mind as you write.

You do not need a book that distracts you. You do not need fluffy or wordy passages that take your mind away from the action of writing.

At this stage your guide books should be relevant to the work at hand.

This is what makes Dianne’s book so useful; it gets directly to the point – fluff free.

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEME AND PLOT?

Dianne explains the difference between theme and plot and discusses viewpoint.

She emphasizes the need for planning, choosing your setting, your characters and how to develop them, dialogue, plot and a lot more.

The Craft of Novel-Writing covers everything you need to know to get your book written.

I am a great believer in keeping it simple and this book does just that.

Good luck.

Grace

P.S. If you are looking for ways to develop your creativity before you begin your novel then you will find my book Practical Creative Writing Exercises very useful.

 


In the interest of honesty and transparency I want you to know that I have chosen to be an affiliate for these books about writing a novel.

This means I receive a tiny commission should you purchase the book. This helps with the costs of providing the free information, help and advice on this site and there is no extra cost to you.

I only ever recommend books I have personally read and that have genuinely helped me enormously with my own work.

 

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