During all the years before attending college courses specifically geared toward writing, I realized that I needed to know the basics (and I wanted to know all the advanced stuff too) about the writing craft and everything connected to it.
A while back, I provided a list of several books that recently helped me with my writing. Today, I’ve got some more resources for you.
These are the sources that I’ve loved since I was young and brand-new to the craft (and one that I just discovered but wish I’d known about when I was first starting out).
The Nighttime Novelist, Joseph Bates
Are you busy working all day at your draining full-time job? Are you an over-worked college student burdened with piles and piles of homework? Are you a stay-at-home parent who has time for little more in the daytime than looking after the kids? Well, if you also want to write a novel, fear not! Joseph Bates is here to help with a book for what he refers to as the “nighttime novelist.” He’ll tell you all you need to know about writing a novel in your free time and how to have fun doing it!
Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card
For a very long time, this book was my favorite go-to read, so much so that I reread it a number of times. If you’re having trouble using viewpoint to engage with your story, or need to know more about your characters, this is the book for you!
Spilling Ink, Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter
As a young, beginning writer looking to craft stories of my own at a young age, this book was my absolute favorite and the first book on writing craft that I ever owned. With its fun prompts and exercises geared toward creativity and good writing habits, this book will engage your mind and provide a lot of fun while doing it. Colorful situations, charming illustrations, and a unique conversation style all work together to create a wonderfully engaging young writer’s handbook.
Wonderbook, Jeff VanderMeer
This is a book that I was referred to for a project in one of my college courses. But I wish I’d have known this book existed back when I first started working on my fantasy work in progress. This is a wonderful and charming resource that focuses on the craft of worldbuilding. Paired with strange and breath-taking illustrations, this immersive book delves into the craft of immersion itself. I’ve found it immensely useful, and you’ll know as soon as you open it and flip through the pages that you’ve found a keeper.
These are just a few of my favorites resources, and I hope you find them just as useful as I did, if not more so. Happy writing!
Rachel Sandell 