SOME GREAT RESOURCE BOOKS ON HOW TO WRITE POPULAR FICTION THAT SELLS

Some Excellent Guides for Writing and Revising Your Novel or Short Story

A list of recommended books, compiled by Jodie Renner, editor, author, & speaker

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Click on the titles below to check out the books on Amazon.

IF YOU’RE JUST GETTING STARTED:

Writing Fiction for Dummies, by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy. Not for dummies at all! An excellent resource.

The Everything Guide to Writing Your First Novel, by Hallie Ephron

How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James N. Frey

A Writer’s Guide to Fiction, A concise, practical guide for novelists and short story writers, by Elizabeth Lyon

How NOT to Write a Novel – 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them – A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing a Novel, by Tom Monteleone

Outlining Your Novel - Map Your Way to Success, by K.M. Weiland

Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell


REVISING AND EDITING YOUR NOVEL OR SHORT STORY:

Revision and Self-Editing - Techniques for transforming your first draft into a finished novel, by James Scott Bell. Just excellent!

Manuscript Makeover – Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore, by Elizabeth Lyon

Fire up Your Fiction (Style that Sizzles & Pacing for Power) - An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Stories, by Jodie Renner

Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us – A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing Is Being Rejected, by Jessica Page Morrell 

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – How to edit yourself into print, by Renni Browne and Dave King

38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) by Jack M. Bickham

Between the Lines, by Jessica Page Morrell

Rock Your Revisions: A Simple System for Revising Your Novel, by Cathy Yardley


CLASSIC ADVICE FROM THE “GURUS”:

Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass

Writing 21st Century Fiction - High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling, by Donald Mass

Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein
         
On Writing, by Stephen King

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

The Successful Novelist, by David Morrell

The Fire in Fiction – Passion, Purpose, and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great, by Donald Maass


WRITING COMPELLING THRILLERS & MYSTERIES:

How to Write a Damn Good Thriller, by James N. Frey

Conflict & Suspense, by James Scott Bell

Writing a Killer Thriller - An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction, by Jodie Renner

How to Write a Damn Good Mystery, by James N. Frey

Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel, by Hallie Ephron


CHARACTERS, CHARACTER REACTIONS, DIALOGUE:

Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint, by Nancy Kress

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman and Becca
Puglisi. An excellent resource for finding just the right character response for the situation!


WRITING ROMANCE NOVELS:

On Writing Romance – how to craft a novel that sells, by Leigh Michaels. Also contains lots of great tips for writing any kind of fiction.

The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel, by Christie Craig and Faye Hughes

The Busy Writer's Tips on Writing Romance, by Marg McAlister 

The Romance Writer's Handbook, by Rebecca Vinyard


WRITING YOUNG ADULT (YA) & MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION:

Writing Great Books for Young Adults – Everything you need to know from crafting the idea to landing a publishing deal, by Regina Brooks. Excellent reading for any fiction writer.

Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies, by Deborah Halverson

Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers, by Mary Kole

Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing for the Young Adult Market, by Victoria Hanley

Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, by Cheryl B. Klein

Writing for Children and Young Adults, by Dr. Marion Crook


WRITING MEMOIRS:

Shimmering Images – A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir, by Lisa Dale Norton

Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art, 2nd Edition , by Judith Barrington

Fiction writers - do you know of any great resources for writing compelling fiction that I should add to this list? Please share your ideas in the comments below and I'll add them! Thanks!

Jodie Renner has published two books to date in her series, An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: Writing a Killer Thriller and Fire up Your Fiction (Style That Sizzles & Pacing for Power), which has won two book awards so far. Look for her third book in the series, out soon. For more info, please visit Jodie’s author website or editor website, her blogs, Resources for Writers, Crime Fiction Collective, and The Kill Zone, or find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. And sign up for her newsletter.