My Favorite Writing Books

photo courtesy of Lynn

As promised my favorite writing books in no particular order.

* Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (a must for any aspiring writer)

* Write Right by Jan Venolia (a compact tool kit for writers)

* Painless Grammar by Rebecca Elliot, Ph.d. (a painless and funny guide to better grammar)

* The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner by Martin Roth (great tool for generating ideas)

* No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty (he helps you stomp down your internal editor and write)

* Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld (if you can't write a scene after reading this, keep your day job)

*First Draft in 30 Days by Karen Wiesner (love her worksheets)

* Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King (this is the book I'm using to go back and edit my first novel. Really helps you find the flaws and weaknesses in your writing.)

* The Little Red Writing Book by Brandon Royal (short and sweet and a great book to take on the road. It's compact.)

* Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents (Oh boy... I know you can get this stuff on the Internet, but I'm still a book snob. He also provides advice and interviews with agents and such. Thank you Jeff Herman for compiling it in a single book. My carpal tunnel thanks you.)

* Writer's Market (Yep, this stuff is on the Internet, too. They compile it plus provide tips and interviews.)

* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I know it's not a book on the craft of writing, but read it and you'll know why I included it. It's a classic. And to think Harper Lee only wrote the one book. Oh my gosh...)