Recommended reading on novel writing from my developmental editor
When I signed on to work with my developmental editor, they recommended I read The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester, which I hadn’t read.
But they also wanted to know what books on novel writing I had read. At the time, this was the list:
- The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
- Story by Robert McKee
- Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias
- The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass
- Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
- The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke
- Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman
- Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
- Fiction Writing Master Class by William Cane
- Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
- Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham
- Description & Setting by Ron Rozelle
- Writing the Fiction Series by Karen S. Wiesner
- How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell
- Dialogue by Robert McKee
- 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
- Creating Characters by The Editors of Writer’s Digest
- Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
- Nail Your Novel by Roz Morris
- Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke
- Fight Write by Carla Hoch
- Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit
- How to Write a Mystery by Mystery Writers of America
- How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
- How to Create History by A Trevena
- How to Destroy the World by A Trevena
- Hooked by Les Edgerton
- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
- How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen
- The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
- Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell
- The Author’s Checklist by Elizabeth Kracht
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
Plus, some books about psychology and character traits, including:
- Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey
- The Positive Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
- The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
Plus, some books on publishing, including:
- Get Signed by Lucinda Halpern
- Funny You Should Ask by Barbara Poelle
- The Guide to Literary Agents edited by Robert Lee Brewer
- The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman
Some of those books are more useful than others. I’m sharing video reviews of the ones I recommend most.
Why have I read so many books on novel writing?
While I’ve written five nonfiction books and nearly 4,000 articles and posts, I knew I didn’t know nearly enough about novel writing. I’d taken a couple of courses on it in college, but that was long ago and those were workshops rather than instructional. What I needed was a masterclass in novel writing, so I set out to create one for myself.
I started off with Hooked by Les Edgerton and How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card, both of which my eldest son gave as birthday presents. Then I bought a few more books on craft I found at Barnes & Noble. And then I started buying the craft books mentioned in the craft books I was reading, plus ones mentioned in articles I’d read.
Admittedly, some advice is repeated by multiple authors, but I’ve found that just reinforces what the fundamentals are. At the same time, truly unique advice and frameworks have stood out, especially once I got a dozen books in.
Both kinds of advice were helpful, since I was writing and revising my novels as I read these books on novel writing. As I read, I reflect on what I’ve written in previous chapters and whether it needs tweaking. Or I can adjust my outline for future chapters, which happened after I read The Fantasy Fiction Formula—which I highly recommend.
I’ve since read two more craft books, and I have six more in the TBR pile on my desk. Every one I read makes me a little better writer.
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