This vs. that: Novel-writing books
I’ve read more than 40 books on novel-writing and publishing. Every book has been worthwhile, but some books are more worthwhile than others. To help you prioritize and make good reading choices, I’d like to do some head-to-head comparisons.
First up, I want to compare The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell vs. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. Believe it or not, The Hero with a Thousand Faces inspired The Writer’s Journey. However, The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a deep, deep dive into myths from around the world. Great sourcing. A deep, deep dive. The Writer’s Journey breaks down storytelling, breaks down characters. It really gives you the tools you need to make a great story.
Next up, The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester vs. How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card. How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy really covers a lot of the basics—not a lot of deep knowledge—but it’s a very solid primer. The Fantasy Fiction Formula goes much deeper, gives you way more tools. There are exercises in here—lots of helpful stuff about plotting, about characters, about all the key elements you want to know about when writing a great science fiction or fantasy novel. This is the one you want.
And then lastly—and this might be the most controversial—Stephen King’s On Writing vs. Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. Now, I hear On Writing recommended a ton. However, for me, I really didn’t see myself in here at all. You know, it’s great that Stephen King—who’s obviously massively accomplished—but it’s great that he has all this free time to structure his day, to structure his weeks to get the most out of it. I didn’t find a lot of useful advice here since I am not already an established author who’s doing it full time and has all this time to structure my life. I have a day job and I just didn’t see myself in here at all, whereas I did see myself in Bird by Bird. I found this way more helpful. So, for me, this is the one to read.
I hope that helps you make better reading choices. Again, all these books are worthwhile, but those are my picks.
Related posts:
Book review: ‘The Fantasy Fiction Formula’ by Deborah Chester
Book review: ‘The Writer’s Journey’ by Christopher Vogler
To receive future posts for free or to become a Patron and support my dystopian sci-fi novel and get special thank-you goodies upon its publication…
