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Best Writing Guides?

Nebuchadnezzar

Troubadour
Hi all,

Wondering if my fellow scribes had any suggestions as to some of the best writing guides out on the market, preferably in book or e-book form? I'd like to find something that contains all the standard "good writing" guidance from a technique perspective -- e.g. show don't tell, mind your adverbs, etc.

I'm less concerned about the story-telling aspect (one step at a time), but certainly not averse to good books that contain guidance on that front as well.

Thanks! Neb
 
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell maybe?
But it is like a door that once you crossed, you never can come back. Once read it, you will see its work everywhere. But it can really improve your work.

But I believe I didn't answered your question...
 

ndmellen

Minstrel
How to write the breakout novel by Donald Maas...I admit that I haven't yet read it, but it came very highly recommended.
 

ndmellen

Minstrel
...and please excuse my ignorance/ tangent, but are adverbs all that bad? Stephen King recommends not using them, but I don't understand the harm...
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
...and please excuse my ignorance/ tangent, but are adverbs all that bad? Stephen King recommends not using them, but I don't understand the harm...

Those that consider adverbs bad (I'm one of those) feel that way because, by their nature, they are tells and weak modifiers/descriptors. Although adverbs can be efficient, in terms of saving space (which is why they are used so heavily in common speech), they tend to drain power from prose.

Opinions on the use of adverbs vary. However, few people will disagree with the idea that their overuse will dull an otherwise good story. There are several great threads devoted to the use of adverbs here on Mythic Scribes.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Opinions on the use of adverbs vary. However, few people will disagree with the idea that their overuse will dull an otherwise good story. There are several great threads devoted to the use of adverbs here on Mythic Scribes.

Opinions on the use of adverbs frequently vary. However, few people will strongly disagree with the idea that their overuse will really dull an otherwise good story. There can easily be found several great threads completely devoted to the use of adverbs here on Mythic Scribes.

See? The adverbs didn't actually help, did they?
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
Opinions on the use of adverbs vary. However, few people will disagree with the idea that their overuse will dull an otherwise good story. There are several great threads devoted to the use of adverbs here on Mythic Scribes.

Opinions on the use of adverbs frequently vary. However, few people will strongly disagree with the idea that their overuse will really dull an otherwise good story. There can easily be found several great threads completely devoted to the use of adverbs here on Mythic Scribes.

See? The adverbs didn't actually help, did they?
Your point is well made and I agree with you...
But the psychologist within me would say that the adverbs do help if used wisely and appropriately...
"strongly disagree" is not the same as "disagree" [all of psychology and market research would fall if there was just +ve and -ve in reactions].
Also if you change "frequently" to "widely" you could get a better or at least different impression of how open the range of opinions might be [are there 2 or 3 entrenched camps or do a thousand flags fly?].
And using "easily" could imply a criticism and reproach for not having found the threads earlier...

Adverbs tweak the message you want to tell.
Use the words you want to write the story you want.
For me overuse is just as bad as under use... it is up to the author to decide where "enough" is...
 
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Jeff Xilon

Minstrel
Hi Nebuchadnezzar,

Here are a few suggestions. For your specific request of a book that focuses on technique I'd recommend Self-Editing For Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King.

When you feel you do want something more story-focused try Wired For Story: The Writers Guide To Using Brain Science To Hook Readers From The Very First Sentence, by Lisa Cron. It just came out last year and I can't recommend it enough. It's really eye-opening.

If you don't mind very creative NSFW language you might want to try any of Chuck Wendig's writing guides. They're quite informal and more big idea than specific guidelines, but I find them very interesting and motivating. They're pretty story-based, but they also focus a lot on writing as craft and career.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
Here are the books I'd recommend. The Elements of Fiction Series and a couple of screen writing books: Save the Cat and My Story Can Beat Up Your Story.
 
I've read a lot of how-to guides, and the only one that was useful -- and very useful at that -- was

How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction by Orson Scott Card.

It is a sleek volume with 137 pages, and it has everything you need to know -- all the essentials for writing in this genre.

(I should say I haven't had a look at the Athans book, but I may pick it up -- Butterfly has piqued my curiosity!)
 

Filk

Troubadour
Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott.

The Art of Creative Writing by Lajos Egri.

Lamott's is my favorite overall writing guide and it is fun to read as well.

Egri is a character god. He understands motivation like no other and explains it very well. I highly recommend it.

Also, check out Zen and the Art of Creative Writing by Ray Bradbury.

If you really want to get into it, read The Copyeditor's Handbook back to back. It's my favorite style guide.

Edit: I didn't much like King's On Writing; too much of an autobiography. Also, A Hero With a Thousand Faces contains a lot of storytelling canon. Read it. hehe
 
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Addison

Auror
Writers Digest online has hundreds of fantastic articles on writing. Whether it's opinion pieces, queries, submitting or novels from character development to best seller tips, even top quotes on writing.

But books, the best writing books that I've found have been:
Writing the Supernatural Novel, by Steven Harper.
The Nighttime Novelist, by Joseph Bates.
"Writing Great Fiction" series.
 
I actually use that book and it is really helpful. I also use Terry Brook's "Fantasy Reference" and it is also extremely helpful. These books together, I think, work the best.
 

Grimmlore

Minstrel
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell maybe?
But it is like a door that once you crossed, you never can come back. Once read it, you will see its work everywhere. But it can really improve your work.

Im reading a book called the writers journey it is like a guideline based on The Hero with a thousand faces written by Christopher Vogler it really opened my eyes and gave me a starting point to work from. but its like you say Asura once you read it you see it everywhere especially in the movies, now every time I pick up a game I see the structure everywhere.

but something else I have found works really well in teaching the structural skeleton of a good story is by going back to High school English lessons and deconstructing some of my favourite works. the wizard of oz especially good because it was very obvious where the transitions were for Dorothy and her adventure.
you could probably even google a deconstruction of the wizard of oz.
but something else I seem to be seeing everywhere is, write what you know,.. if your not a microbiologist how do you expect your MC to know how the microscopic alien strand is going to react with the local mosses he or she is experimenting on? however,.. if your good with cars, then your MC being a bit of a grease monkey him herself would seem more plausible to the reader.
in saying that, the wonderful world of technology gives us access to so much information these days so research, research, research!
phew,.... I don't know how many spelling mistakes were in that but this is why Im not a rocket scientist or microbiologist :D
 
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