Best fiction writing reference books according to redditors
We found 292 Reddit comments discussing the best fiction writing reference books. We ranked the 129 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 292 Reddit comments discussing the best fiction writing reference books. We ranked the 129 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
. Orientalizing Mid/Far Eastern culture
. Opening with a huge chunk of worldbuilding
. Overlooking melee mechanics (this has helped me with that: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Fight-Scenes-Professional-Techniques-ebook/dp/B005MJFVS0 )
. Understanding horse mechanics. They only go faster than walking if you press them. Keep forcing and the horse will die. Usually they're used by travelers to hold supplies and for long term relief.
. Ancient evils
Just a few off the top of my head. Hope this helps.
One of the best books I have ever read is “Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded” https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199760241/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_6MpxCb2Y2PH49
The book is easy to read and has DRASTICALLY improved my science writing. I read this book with my undergraduate lab (like 4 years ago) and still reference now in my PhD program.
The books I'm using are:
Anybody have any other book recommendations while we're at it?
Note: none of these links are affiliate links.
Edit: formatting
> Like...it would be passable if she was struggling.
I've read Writing Fiction For Dummies for fun, and I know how to structure a story better than this.
No, really, read a book.
edit: Also, start comparing your blog to other blogs in the same field. It just seems like you have little interest in producing quality material. You write as if you're talking to your friend on Steam.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Journalism/dp/1592576702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479692513&sr=8-1&keywords=journalism+for+dummies
This would be useful i think.
This is the book that I was given to learn about how to structure and work out what I was going to write:
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241
I'd recommend that you find some of the better papers in your discipline (and later from the journal you want to submit to) and print them out. Read through them twice. As you read a paper a second time you should jot down what each paragraph contributes to the main argument of the paper. Try to ask yourself why each paragraph was included. What purpose did they serve? In sections like the abstract it is sometimes helpful to even break it down by sentence like so:
> Motivational sentence that establishes problem. Second sentence about impact of problem. Sentence describing previous work that has been done. Sentence stating what these studies didn't do. What we did. Our results. Possible last sentence about broader impacts.
This way you can get an idea of how good papers are structured. Once you've studied a few (ask your PI for suggestions if you can't decide) then you may be interested in joining a writing group with other students as well.
Don't forget that every first draft is garbage. Just dump it out and then worry about correcting it to make it good later. With practice you'll get better at doing it right the first time, but I don't know any researchers who don't have to edit when writing. Most of my colleagues that have trouble writing just never take the risk of writing that first draft. Be brave about it, and be ready to be humbled by those who edit your work. Criticism and edits only make you and your paper stronger.
If you're not a good concise writer, your scripts will taste like ass.
See: Michael Straczynski's book
All of that, and at the end he goes with Goldman's two memoirs? What about Linda Seger or, gasp upon gasps, J. Michael Straczynski?
The book you are looking for is called Plotto: https://www.amazon.com/Plotto-Master-Book-All-Plots/dp/1935639188
It's from the 1920's, not the 1950's. There's a more recent clone; I think the copyright lawyers were sleeping.
Immediate Fiction, Jerry Cleaver.
http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Fiction-Complete-Writing-Course/dp/0312302762
> I often think of interesting ways the story can go and I have the beginning and middle of the story sorted but I am unsure of where I am going to end up
I absolutely CANNOT write a long story/book without an outline. I think of it like a roadmap: I'd never try to drive to a new city without a roadmap, or build a house without a blueprint. It becomes chaotic, and I freak out and leave it unfinished.
You can do an outline a couple ways. This is a blog post on using index cards to create a streamlined story, or you can outline on a computer and list major scenes. (For a longer description of outlining, I recommend Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland.)
Some authors can "fly by the seat of their pants," but I can't, and if I'm reading your post right, it sounds like you'd benefit from outlining as well.
>Who is to say who is & who is not a journalist anyway?
Who is to say who is and who isn't a professional in any field? If I make a blog in Wordpress, am I suddenly an IT engineer? If I floss, am I a dentist?
Why is it that people outside of word-based professions feel they can claim to be professionals, whereas no one does that with number-based professions? Is it because everyone uses language?
if you want to learn what journalism is, I suggest you start by reading these:
http://www.journalism.org/node/72
http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Journalism-Newspeople-Completely-Updated/dp/0307346706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317881819&sr=8-1&tag=acleint-20
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Journalism/dp/1592576702/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1317881819&sr=8-3&tag=acleint-20
http://www.amazon.com/Associated-Press-Guide-News-Writing/dp/0768919797/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1317881819&sr=8-8&tag=acleint-20
http://www.amazon.com/Journalistic-Writing-Building-Skills-Honing/dp/1933338385/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1317881819&sr=8-9&tag=acleint-20
http://www.bbc.co.uk/journalism/
I'd start with Save the Cat because it's a fun read and does a great job of laying down the basic structure without over-complicating things.
After you've got that down I'd move on to something a bit more theoretical. I would highly recommend The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri. It's about playwriting but the structure is similar and it really impressed upon me the importance of structuring a plot around a character and not the other way around.
I'd also recommend The Sequence Approach as a supplemental structure to the traditional 3 Act structure. The book basically breaks a screenplay into a number of goal-oriented sequences that help guide you towards a satisfying resolution.
I'd keep Story by Robert McKee and Screenplay by Syd Field around for references, but they are more like text books for me and not really inspiring.
One of my professors in grad school wrote a book called The Story Solution based on his own interpretation of story structure. Similar to the sequence approach, he breaks out a screenplay into 23 'hero goal sequences' that keep your story grounded and moving forward, while ensuring that your hero is making progress and completing his character arc.
Also, in answer to your beat question: A beat is the smallest block of measurable plot. a collection of beats make a scene, a collection of scenes makes a sequence, a collection of sequences make an act, a collection of acts make a narrative. Every beat of your screenplay needs to serve the premise in some way or you end up with a bloated script that will drag. Many times writers will actually write 'a beat' into their script to show that there is silence or a pause that is significant to the plot. An example might be a brief pause before a character lies to another character.
Structuring Your Novel by K. M. Weiland is a great concise look at structure, and affordable at only $4.99 for the ebook. I refer back to this book all the time.
I remember writing a grant proposal for fieldwork in the first year of my PhD. Me and my supervisor edited it together (he thought ti would be a good exercise. No content was changed, but the entire text was red from the 'track changes' after working on it for two hours!
It's pretty normal and a others said: the learning curve is steep.
(PS: there are some great books out on academic writing. This is one of my favorites: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241)
You might be interested in reading this (excellent) book:
World-Building (Science Fiction Writing)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/158297134X/
I have been reading Plotto and it is like being dropped down into the plot well. It is so rich with nearly every conceivable plot, including which threads link to which, that I had weird, surreal dreams for three straight nights.
If you're into books on writing, I found Outlining Your Novel helpful. If you've read your share of writing tips and books it will repeat some things you know by now, but I found its techniques helpful.
I knew how great an outline can be so I used one to frame my novel in Scrivener using the index cards, it has helped immensely. I didn't write every single detail leaving left plenty of room for things to change course if the story and characters need to evolve in a different direction. Outlining prevents writers block in the sense of "what do I do next?" plot-wise.
For me, it always comes back to character. A story is about your main character and the transformation they undergo over the course of the story.
I don't know if you're interested in reading about writing, but I'd suggest James Scott Bell's Write Your Novel from the Middle. It's a $4 ebook and it's short, only 100 pages; you can download it and read it on your phone in an afternoon or two.
Bell's idea here is that there's a point in a book where your main character takes a good long look at himself. Usually he's tried over and over to solve the "story problem" without success, and finally he has a decision to make. Once your figure this point out, you finally know who your main character is. This point balances the story, as on a fulcrum. Once you nail this down, the rest of the book practically falls into place. ;) I've found this very helpful.
Originality Workshop by Dean Wesley Smith: https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/youtube-videos/originality-workshop/
Plus his book on "writing into the dark": https://www.amazon.com/Writing-into-Dark-without-Outline-ebook/dp/B00XIPANX8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1511018627&sr=1-1&keywords=writing+into+the+dark
Ok, so I promised you that I would comment on this piece, if you posted it, so lets just jump right in!
THE BASICS OF STORY TELLING
Just because you are writing non-fiction, doesn't mean that you get to ignore the process of telling a story. In fact, it may be that the elements of a story are more important in non-fiction than fiction.
When was the last time you picked up a chemistry text book 'for fun'? But how about The Elegant Universe? Or A Short History of Nearly Everything? If you haven't read the latter, you should, as it is probably one of the greatest non-fiction science books of all time.
What makes these books more engaging than a standard textbook? They are telling a story. They are leading the reader on a journey of discovery, but are introducing that discovery in a way that makes the reader feel they have some skin in the game. They introduce problems (and questions) that demand answers. They introduce characters that are trying to solve them. There is antagonists (even if it is just nature) and heroes (even if it is just nature). And all this is introduced from the start.
In other words, they have a hook.
THE HOOK
So, lets think about your hook:
>I recently put aside my doubts that all of "reality" was anything but a simulation, created by an advanced civilization, and went for a long walk (for the sake of exploring the "fun" consequences, of course).
Not. Good.
First, you don't really introduce the problem. Sure, you said you put aside some doubts, but doubts of what? What do you mean by simulation? What do you mean by 'advanced civilization)? Why do I care what you are thinking? Why Do I care if you went for a walk -- and why do I care if it were long?
Do you see the problem? You introduce a string of loosely defined terms, which gives us a loosely defined problem. It is hard to care about a loosely defined problem. Worse you give us a character (YOU) that the reader know nothing about, and then probably won't care.
Do you know who the reader does care about? Themselves.
So, I would give a hook that is something related to the reader. You already mention The Matrix, and so you might just start a hook with something like:
"What if the matrix was right all along."
Something like this introduces a well-defined problem (borrowing from popular culture to do so), and then also a character that the reader cares about: themselves.
>I then, more quickly than expected, traversed the five stages of grief and arrived at an interesting realization.
>I'd like to retrace my steps with the hope that you too will attain the same simulated peace that I now possess. Where to begin...
The hook is now over. I do not know what the problem is, I do not know why I should care that you are having this problem, I don't know what your position is or why I should trust that it is 'interesting' and you claim.
If I were not reading for critique, I would not read past this. You need a better, stronger, hook, to draw the reader's attention to the problem that you wish to discuss, and show them how this problem relates to their own life (i.e., why they should care about it).
CLAIMS OF KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT SUPPORT
The other issue this piece has is the that give above in bold -- you routinely issue judgement statements without sufficient support. Let us look at some:
>the largest of the looming obstacles becomes the realization that all of reality as we know it could cease to exist for reasons beyond our control or even understanding.
How is this an obstacle? And obstacle to what? This just seems to be a fact of one particular type of simulation.
What if the simulation was being run in a manner such that it could not be interrupted? The technology to run this simulation is beyond our grasp, so why couldn't such a mechanism exist? You are making a claim that appears to have no foundation other than you think it to be true.
>It is a reasonable assumption that a civilization advanced enough to simulate literally everything must first have achieved a certain level of peace and stability.
There appears to be a logical flaw here. They did not simulate EVERYTHING -- just the things in the simulation. In fact, THEY must exist outside of the simulation, so that is not everything. In fact, if the laws of physics hold in their own universe, then the simulation we would be in would, by definition, be required to be MUCH simpler than their own world. The laws of thermodynamics dictate this. Therefore, this simulation would just a simple model of something.
Furthermore:
>After all, it's a bit difficult to investigate the nature of reality and advance science while you're busy trying to avoid being brutally murdered by bloodthirsty marauders hell-bent on wearing your skull as a hat
What if, and I am just widely speculating here, the desire to avoid the fate you propose led someone to invent some new technology to avoid this -- like maybe a helmet? Or a better sword? Or something?
Complete peace seems more likely to motivate technological advances. If all was perfect, then why change anything? Our invention of technology is a result of struggles against nature and others. Thus, violence and strife are primary motivators for technology, and it seems more logically sound to argue the opposite of what you are claiming.
> This would mean that our creators posses at least the ability to perceive us as valid life forms, and as such, subject to the same rights as themselves!
WHAT?
We accept that bacteria are life forms, and do not extend to them the rights that we grant other people. Where is there any support that one would expect creators to grant rights to their creations that are on par with their own? I see absolutely zero support for this position. Maybe is exists, but if it does, you need to supply it.
>The opposing perspectives could be summed up as follows:
>1. Simulations capable of producing conscious simulants should not be created, since the act of turning off such simulations would be an act of genocide.
>2. The knowledge obtained from simulations outweigh the ethical implications; the end justifies the means.
This is a false dichotomy. They could also assume that we are not worthy of rights. You have not established that. So, they could view us with EXACTLY the same view we extend to simulation of people in video games. Do we consider their rights? If not, then why would they consider ours? This has not been sufficiently established.
OVERALL FLOW
Just as a story needs to have a cohesive plot, your non-fiction needs to have a common thread that connects ideas back to the major problem.
In Star Wars: A New Hope, the story continually comes back to the problem of Luke establishing himself in a wider world. We care deeply about him, and his feeling of insignificance.
In your story, you MUST return to the same idea over and over again. The problem just structure your discussion of everything else.
The problem you REALLY have is this: if we are a simulation, do we have moral rights?
So, this needs to guide EVERY single fact you introduce.
Did the dinosaurs have rights? Then what do we make of the morality of the meteor coming in? What do we think about mammals taking over their environment?
If we do not have rights in the simulation, then should we care about murder?
These are interesting questions, that can be tied back the strange idea of us existing in a simulation. They provide stronger jumping off points for the tangents you are taking. They will provide a structure and focus that you are currently lacking. You need to identify a theme, and stick with it, very closely. In the same way that all actions in Star Wars were related to Luke gaining an understanding of his place in the galaxy, your story MUST always come back to the idea of Morality within and without a simulation.
*
SUMMARY*
The idea that you are discussing is interesting, but the manner you are doing it in is not yet engaging. The reason is that you have not introduced the problem with a proper hook, and you do not identify and tread near an established theme within the piece. These are elements of story telling that will serve you well in non-fiction, as in fiction.
If you want more information on this, try reading [Writing Science*](http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241). THough this is aimed more at the academic writer, it is a great place to start for understanding how to frame the introduction to serious non-fiction. That is, how to identify the story you are trying to tell, how to make a compelling hook, and then how to follow through on the themes that make your hook compelling.
Let me know if you have questions!
I have read many, many books about writing, but there has only been one (so far) that came to me with exactly the right message at exactly the time I needed it. Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver. Six month after reading it I actually completed a novel for the first time. And a year after that, it was published. I don't know if anyone else is in need of Cleaver's message, but it certainly spoke to me.
Dear guy in the first half of this note,
Here's your fucking problem, asshole: you're a self-centered shitheel who only writes for himself. Want to know how I know this? Because you're bitching about the one aspect of editing that requires the least amount of patience and provides the greatest benefit to readability: spelling and punctu-fuck-you-ation.
Grammar Nazis, jerks or not, are providing a public fucking service. I'm glad you're pissed off. You should be. However, if you're getting a complex, it's not because they're Nazis, it's because you're a shitty student.
Dear guy asking for help,
Great to hear you're interested in improving your ability to communicate. On one hand, it is as easy as having a conversation. On the other, it's really not. Without non-verbal cues and cliches to communicate your meaning and subtext, it becomes easy to write in a way that feels stilted or transmits ideas you don't intend. I recommend continuing to read the authors you like, but start keeping an eye on syntax and structure. That's really the best way to keep sharp. You'll be able to learn which rules persist because they work well (using dashes rather than parentheses, for instance) and which can be broken for the sake of an aesthetic or readership (i.e., Cormac McCarthy's phobia about double-quoting dialog). The rules aren't as strict as you might have been led to believe, but you'll find in time that you respect those stronger rules more for a simple reason: they just work, no matter what you're communicating.
For composition, I recommend William K. Zinsser's On Writing Well. It's a pleasurable read and useful for all but the very best and most experienced writers (and maybe them as well).
For story craft, I recommend Bob McKee's Story and Stephen King's On Writing. The former is nigh fucking indispensable; the second, just gratifying to read.
For spelling, Merriam-Websters and practice.
For punctuation, just be sufficiently considerate of your readers to google the rule you're not sure about.
Thanks for posting this. I hope my 2 cents help.
Maybe it's because you're overambitious. "Realistic reasons for everything existing" sounds to me like you might have too much going on for a first novel. I would personally look more at what the characters and the world need and then give them that stuff rather than giving them stuff and trying to figure out a reason why they have it.
You should definitely check out /r/worldbuilding if you haven't already because I think they concern themselves more specifically with this type of problem and there are plenty of pointers to have there even if you're not very interested in fictional maps, which make up a big part of the content there.
edit:
Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham talk worldbuilding: http://youtu.be/sCsPtUo91B0
A worldbuilding guide for writers: http://www.amazon.com/World-Building-Science-Fiction-Writing-Stephen/dp/158297134X
Nisi Shawl wrote a great little book about writing about people who aren’t like you called Writing the Other. It’s for exactly this situation!
Continued because it was too long lmao
11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.
I honestly really want to get into acting. I love movies and TV shows, and I really would love to start acting. For that reason, this book would be a great addition to my library and would probably teach me a lot.
This book also looks like it would be a good learning experience. :)
I found another great read! I'll pretty much take any acting books I can get.
12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.
Pop Funkos are honestly my go-to add-on item. Like this little fella, for instance. Adorable and affordable (did I just make up a saying? I do believe I did).
What's that? Ah, yes. Pops. The source of my broke-ness. Have another..
Oh, you think I'm done. HA. I'm too far deep to dig myself out of the hole that is my ever-growing collection of Pops. Infinity War just came out (no spoilers, I really want to see it but haven't gotten the chance yet), so how about this adorable Thor Pop? Who doesn't love Thor?
13.) Something fandom related. (Sports fandoms are acceptable- bonus if someone figures out my favorite team)
My favorite band happens to be Twenty One Pilots... and this is a pretty sick shirt.
I'm sorry, I'm still thinking about Infinity War from up above. I found a Thanos shirt that is honestly super cool. Like I've never seen it before and now I want it lmao.
I recently got gifted this absolutely gorgeous and cool Hawkeye T-shirt. It has BOTH Hawkeyes from the comics on it! Super cool.
14.) Something ridiculously priced, more than $10,000. They exist, y’all.
Who the absolute heck buys a $180,000 watch?! Not me, that's for sure.
I'm honestly not even sure what this is, but it's expensive as heck and you could put that money toward an ACTUAL CAR.
Y'all need a parking lift? I gotchu.
15.) Something with sharks or unicorns.
Who doesn't love socks?. Especially socks with unicorns.
You ask for sharks, I get you sharks.
Also no joke this is the cutest thing I've ever seen oh my gosh.
16.) Something that smells wonderful.
I have a cinnamon candle (not that exact one) and I absolutely love it to death.
Who doesn't love coconut lime? I know I love it.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "damn, I really like me the smell of cilantro"? Well, look no further.
17.) A toy that you wanted or had when you were a child that was the best ever, or (if it’s not on amazon) a toy that you think is pretty cool now (Funko Pops, etc., will count.)
If you never played Clue, did you ever really have a childhood?
Another cool toy I had was something like this cool tent-like bus. The one I had had separate sections that were detachable. It was super cool.
I know it's not technically a toy, but I used to watch The Land Before Time ALL the time. I still love that show. It's so, so good.
18.) Something that would be helpful for writers.
Just getting started on writing? Writing for Dummies is always a good place to start.
If you're writing (especially on a computer), you're gonna eventually need some Advil, whether it's from writer's block or a headache from staring at the computer screen too long.
I know it might not be considered useful, but I always thought an ink pen was super cool to have, especially for writers.
19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.
I don't know why, but I suddenly really like Harley Quinn's character. I've been getting, like all the Funko Pops of her. I have a problem.
Oh gosh, you shouldn't have asked. I finally finished catching up to The Walking Dead, and now I want everything Negan related. Like, seriously, I just bought a bloody Lucille of my own. Someone stop me. Anyway, here's a cute little Lucille keychain that I've never seen before.
Another thing I really like is Kylo Ren, but I think you already know that. This BrickHeadz is adorable.
20.) Something that is just so random and weird that it makes you laugh.
This oh my gosh i am dying.
Also idk why but just the lady's posture and the huge heckin' bear is k i l l i n g me.
I don't know how I stumbled upon this weirdass thing but the more I look at it the funnier it is.
Also, this whole thing took me like an hour but it was so much fun. Thanks for the contest!
If you have the good fortune to take a class in fiction writing, they talk about the mechanics of storyform, how stories are composed, what sort of structures they have, what the parts are and how they are related. It can be invaluable information.
Out here in the world, there's no one to tell you how to write a novel. You're supposed to just try doing it until you can somehow teach yourself how to do it, I guess. But that could take 20 years...
So one of the best things you can do to help yourself is to read a couple good books on storywriting.
Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell is $4 and 100 pages. Put it on your phone and you can read it in a couple afternoons. Bell's premise is that most great stories have a special type of scene, and that if you can nail that scene, the rest of the story, forward and back, will practically fall into place. It's an inspirational book that will get you pumped.
And if you find that helpful, you should get Bell's Plot and Structure. I've read a lot of books on writing, and this has been one of the most helpful.
Beyond that, How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey is great.
Writing Active Hooks by Mary Buckham is indispensable. No one tells you how to manage hooks, but they're a critical part of a story.
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Beyond that, you just have to write shit. Your writing ability is a muscle; you need to exercise it to make it grow stronger. Every day, seven days a week, sit down and force yourself to pound out 1000 words of...whatever; nonsense, dreams, freeform imagery, snippets of scenes or ideas. Type it all into one big file, and make a new file every time you get above 100K.
You need to train yourself not to write awkward phrases. In order to do this, you first need to write all those awkward phrases.
Write 1000 words, every day, for 3 months.
Then look at the results. You'll see a tangible difference between when you started and when you finished. It really does work.
I'm in a proposal-writing class, and we're reading Writing Science by Joshua Schimel as part of the course. It's quite good, and emphasizes what science writing has in common with other kinds of writing/storytelling.
If you can find a writing group that fits your needs, that is probably the best place to go. If you're talking about a specific person as a resource, I would suggest finding a set of books that provides that expertise, since a person who does that with the level of expertise you would need would probably charge a fee. Unless you are able to get references from other writers, there is no guarantee that a fee-based approach would get you advice that was really helpful to you in your chosen genre.
​
Two books that I find are indispensable for your world-building efforts are World Building by Stephen Gillett (https://www.amazon.com/World-Building-Science-Fiction-Writing-Stephen/dp/158297134X) and Aliens and Alien Societies by Stanley Schmidt and Ben Bova (https://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Societies-Science-Fiction-Writing/dp/0898797063/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542787506&sr=1-1&keywords=aliens+and+alien+societies).
​
Best of luck!
r/StatementOfPurpose has lots of examples from other people that you can read, as well as if you search through this sub. I also used https://www.amazon.com/Graduate-Admissions-Essays-Fourth-School/dp/1607743213 this book for help and swapped SOPs with my peers. After a while, you get a feel for it.
Hmmm... depends on exactly what you are looking for... (you may also want to pose this question in /r/writing).
Start with these if you're looking for fiction writing help: The 10% Solution by Ken Rand
The Elements of Fiction series (I personally liked Nancy Kress's: Beginnings, middles & ends.
Immediate Fiction I haven't read it yet, but it looks pretty good.
There are a hundreds of other books out there, and a couple that focus more specifically on style, but Elements covers the majority of the subject fairly well. This one might be a little closer to what you're wanting.
Hope this helped.
This is going to sound like really flippant advice, but I swear it's not: buy this book. There is a lot of basic stuff you need to know - how to build character and setting and plot, how to outline, and yes, how to market and publish - and this will spell it all out a lot better than any of us could do in a short post on Reddit. It is definitely an intro book, so it's not like this is all you'll ever need, but it's a good place to start, get your bearings, and figure out what you need to focus on next.
When you do figure that out, there are tons of books dedicated to everything from plot structure and scene structure to dialogue and character arcs; buy those too. Use them to improve your craft and fill in your gaps.
Also, read! Read a lot. Pay attention to how the authors you love set a scene, how they describe things (and to what extent), how they structure their chapters and scenes, how they write dialogue. All books contain real, solid examples for you to study and learn from. Figure out what you admire, and mimic it. Figure out what you hate, and avoid it.
And last, keep in mind that your writing probably won't be amazing right away, and you might have to rethink and rewrite your book a few times as you're learning (or maybe even start a new one) before you really feel like you've gotten the hang of it. Don't give up, just keep learning and keep working.
If you are interested about the screenwriting process, Straczynski's The Complete Book of Scriptwriting is excellent.
For scifi fans, an added bonus is the complete script of the Babylon 5 episode The Coming of Shadows, which won the Hugo in 1996.
> Volevo sapere se conoscete un libro per imparare a scrivere
Ti consiglio di cercare su /r/writing/ (e sugli altri subreddit dedicati alla scrittura che sono linkati da /r/writinghub) perché spesso ho visto dei consigli su libri dedicati alla scrittura creativa, anche se al momento non ti saprei dire quali fossero.
Personalmente ne ho letti parecchi di libri simili, ma me ne sono piaciuti (moderatamente) soltanto due: questo e questo. Purtroppo non credo ne esista una traduzione italiana.
> volevo lanciare un'idea di poter creare anche sun sub in italiano
Ogni volta che viene creato un nuovo subreddit in italiano, una buona parte degli utenti di /r/italy si lamenta del fatto che già si è in pochi e creando nuovi subreddit ci si frammenta ancora di più.
Se preferisci, crealo, ma per quanto mi riguarda i racconti originali sono i benvenuti qui su /r/Libri.
Read Immediate Fiction.
SUNY and CUNY schools are heavily researched-based, and some of their programs are just as competitive as any other state system. It might be worth looking into CUNY EMBA programs if they are available (they are more expensive, but have more to do with making new connections and gaining experience rather than heavy research.)
Check out Writing Into The Dark.
Maybe this will help
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241
I enjoyed this one.
Excellent resource!
I get similar "ew, no" reactions when I recommend Josh Schimel's book Writing Science to fiction writers, even though that's one of the best-researched and most concise books on writing I've yet come across.
Definitely adding this article to my library.
[Get this.] (http://www.amazon.com/World-Building-Science-Fiction-Writing-Stephen/dp/158297134X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414761150&sr=8-1&keywords=worldbuilding)
Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey.
There's a writing manual on the subject, if anyone's curious:
https://smile.amazon.com/Writing-into-Dark-without-Outline-ebook/dp/B00XIPANX8/
This book is more for writers describing combat, but I find the same principle applies:
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Fight-Scenes-Professional-Techniques-ebook/dp/B005MJFVS0
I think your MIL needs this. Just sayin'.
Plot Vs Character by Jeff Gerke is good one:
https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Versus-Character-Balanced-Approach/dp/1582979928
There are hundreds of books about this. I recommend this one. Try starting out with an archetype and flesh it out from there. I've heard of using the Meyers Briggs test to create a basic personality type (actually, I think I learned that from Plot vs. Character). Give them a back story and determine how certain events in their life would cause them to behave. For example, if they were abused growing up, decide whether your character becomes a bully or if they have taken every precaution to ensure they would never harm someone smaller than them.
In reality, there's no quick and easy approach. You have to spend a lot of time picking a fictional person's brain. That's all there is to it. There's an infinite number of ways to do so and none of them are wrong.
http://www.scribophile.com
Scrivener
Pinterest
Aside from this subreddit I find https://www.reddit.com/r/Writers_Block/ and their discord helpful.
Edit: I also found these two books very helpful for outlining and checking my novel structure. I got them both on Kindle and read them religiously.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0978924622/ref=r_soa_w_d
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EJX08QA/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
That's right. I think the most common way I've heard that is by comparing learning writing to learning music? Like, you have to learn your scales before you can start playing Bach or whomever. (I'm not actually a musician so I don't know how good of a comparison that is.)
If you aren't looking for feedback, ignore the following paragraph. I thought how the original post was written was clear enough already. I just had a thought I figured I'd share:
You might consider using examples of whatever concept you're talking about from published stories. There's a book called Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Barroway that's structured this way: they'll address a concept like characterization, talk about it in the abstract for a little while, give some more concrete advice, then they usually end with a couple examples pulled from actual, published stories. Maybe that would help shift some of the burden from coming up with your own, single line examples that people can get up in arms about, to just finding whole paragraphs/scenes so there's more context? That, and people generally seem less interested in arguing with published work.
But setting that aside, I'm glad you tackled an obviously controversial topic. I guess reddit just isn't keen on being told what to do, even when you're just giving suggestions and explaining terms, not actually telling them what to do. I hope there's more of these craft-focused Pubtips.
Two of my favorites, from two of the all-time best science fiction writers:
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
World-Building by Stephen L. Gillett and Ben Bova
Both look at it from more of a writing standpoint, but they're great resources for RPGers or hobbyists too.
I suggest reading some good books on writing novels. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a great place to start
> So you think yours is the original article
...you mean the link to the original article, by the media outlet that researched and published the content? I mean... yeah. I appreciate you feel comfortable enough w/ me to share that you don't understand the difference between original/illegible photocopy/aggregator, though. That at least clears up this whole misunderstanding.
There are some wonderful resources out there that might help.
Cheers.
On Writing Well.
I personally loved The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Of-Dramatic-Writing-Interpretation/dp/9562915867
(there are negative reviews of that edition that complain about the formatting, but included the link so you could read the positive reviews. Here is a different edition of the same book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dramatic-Writing-Lajos-Egri/dp/1434495434 )
I also quite liked Writing For Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Emotional-Impact-Techniques-Fascinate/dp/1595940286/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422728301&sr=1-1&keywords=writing+for+emotional+impact
I'm a first-year grad student that applied last year using this book as a guide. Part of the book contains great general advice for the different components of your application: finding the right programs, keeping track of deadlines, asking for recommendation letters, etc. But as the title suggests, most of the book is about the entire process of writing a solid personal statement. You start with some brainstorming exercises that eventually lead to compiling your first draft, followed by editing techniques until you get to your final iteration. 50+ example statements are provided, along with commentary that points out good and bad aspects of each one.
That book was easily the best resource I had while applying. I was able to borrow a copy from my local library, but even at the $15 Amazon price it's totally worth the money. It looks the the one I linked you to is a brand new edition that's only a couple months old, so I'd be interested to see what's been updated.
> Is this a theory of yours, or is it contributed to elsewhere?
There is plenty of literature out there on it, don't know any online references off the top of my head though. This book has a good basic coverage. Note this is a book about writing realistic Science Fiction, so it does talk about what we think is plausible and what we think isn't. And looks at things like known abundance of various elements.
Drafting your essays in a Google doc is a great idea. Strongly recommend reading Donald Asher's Graduate Admissions Essays. Tons of tips on how to write your way into the graduate school of your choice, and samples.
I've read that's more impressive to ask meaningful questions about their research that reflects that you read their recent/prominent work. Although, that's for the PhD track, and it goes with the same mentality that you take the proper steps necessary to ensure this lab is a good fit for you.
I'm not too familiar with the etiquette for master's programs, but I think that these questions:
>...is the program mostly focused on classes?
>Is it possible to continue and get a PhD in the same program if I decide that I want to keep continuing?
...are better directed at the admissions officer of the program, rather than the professor.
I'm referencing this book, which you might find helpful as well: Graduate Admissions Essays
Despite the title, it has a chapter on emailing professors before applying, complete with a template of what you should be sending them.
Good luck! hope that helps c:
Can't offer consultation myself, but check out Artifexian's YouTube channel. He does a lot of worldbuilding tips based on known science and offers handy equations to allow you to ballpark exact specs, like distance from the parent star and whatnot.
A book that was helpful to me was World-Building by Stephen L. Gillet. Very math heavy and maybe no longer current thanks to how quickly exoplanet science is evolving, but it gets really deep into the mechanics, moreso than Artifexian.
Lajos Egri's The Art of Dramatic writing. I always defer to Egri because he taught Woody Allen. If it's good enough for Woody Allen, it's good enough for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Dramatic-Writing-Lajos-Egri/dp/1434495434http://www.amazon.com/Art-Dramatic-Writing-Lajos-Egri/dp/1434495434
First, I'm glad you're applying to become an RD! I hope you get in and go far! :)
When I applied, I tried to get everything done as early as possible. If DICAS has already opened, then have a goal of getting it all done and turned in 2-4 weeks ahead of time. Certainly don't wait until the last minute to put it all together. I suggest finding a date you want to turn it in by and start scheduling items from your "To-do list" so that you can pace yourself and not have to do everything at once (during the semester is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with other important things like exams). Things like who you want to get rec letters from would come first because professors have many obligations and letters likely won't be written within a couple of days time.
Luckily, I didn't have to take the GRE, so I won't be much help here. But, I would think that if you need the GRE for DICAS, it would probably be a good idea to take it during winter break since you haven't already. Definitely not something to wait on and you're going to have to study for it. Again, if you need it for DICAS, start scheduling study times now because you're not going to have an opportunity to take it twice.
The best resource I've ever purchased was a book on how to write admissions essays (or else you're going to sound just like everyone else). This book my favorite.
Also, I wouldn't address the grades specifically. For example, I didn't do well the first year of undergrad, but did exponentially (so to speak) better by my senior year, so I talked about my growth in education and learning and how my grades showed a positive trend that only went up over time, and were only going to continue being great.
I hope you find this information useful and let me know if you have other questions!
Check out "Writing the Other" by Cynthia Ward and Nisi Shawl. Here's the link to it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Other-Conversation-Pieces-8/dp/193350000X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474140468&sr=8-1&keywords=writing+the+other
Some resources I have found useful:
Wordplayer - a series of columns on the art of screenwriting by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio speaking from many years of direct experience at the epicenter of Hollywood craziness.
TVTropes - dangerously mesmerizing index of every conceivable story telling paradigm you can imagine.
Plotto
Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke is pretty good. Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins is also good.
I highly recommend Holly Lisle's Create a Character e-book. She covers the process of character creation in depth. The e-book also includes tons of questions that really make you think hard about your character's personality, background, motivations, compelling needs, etc.
I think I disagree, but guess I haven't read a ton of books about writing. In my experience, they can be helpful, especially to people who are just starting out. Maybe not as helpful as reading the types of books that you want to write (and reading the stuff you don't want to write—it's important to read widely), but I don't know if I'd call them a waste of time. King's book is great (but that might be because I got the impression that I'd like him as a person while I was reading that), Strunk and White Elements of Style and Zissner's On Writing Well are helpful for tightening beginners' prose, Writing Fiction: a guide to narrative craft has great exercises at the end of every chapter, and I'm reading Benjamin Percy's essay collection Thrill Me right now, and it's great. I feel like a large part of /r/writing would really connect with the first and titular essay in that collection, actually. He talks about reading a lot of so-called trash genre fiction before being exposed to literary fiction and how he kind of overcorrected and became a super-fierce advocate for that-and-only-that before he realized that you can take the good parts of both to create amazing stories. I've also never read any other respected literary person mention reading R. A. Salvatore, which was cool to see since I forgot I was a big Drizzt fan when I was younger.
That's pretty good. I like Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell. It's short, $4; you can download it onto your phone and read it in an afternoon. There's a certain point in the middle of a book where the hero takes a good, hard look at himself, then decides what he needs to do. Figure out that point, and the rest of the book falls in place.
I also like How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey.
I prescribe these two books for you to read in this order:
Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
On Writing Well, 25th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Read these two books carefully and apply the advice to your own writing.
Good luck.
https://smile.amazon.com/Outlining-Your-Novel-Success-Helping-ebook/dp/B005NAUKAC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538983250&sr=8-2&keywords=outlining+your+novel
https://smile.amazon.com/Snowflake-Method-Advanced-Fiction-Writing-ebook/dp/B00LWBZ696/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538983312&sr=8-2&keywords=the+snowflake+method
Or one of the many other books on Amazon, or search for some free advice on the internet. I'm sure there might be some free worksheets out there.
This book will help you.
There are some good book resources if you want to take the time to read through them. Schimel's Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals that Get Funded seems pretty well recommended on Amazon.
My answer has mixed opinions at this board, but the fact is a professional writer needs to have a strong grasp of business sense to keep from being torn apart by vultures, especially trad publishing vultures. The contracts are stuff of legend and getting worse. Read every last word of this blog to catch up on the situation.
This page is very helpful too.
So what that means is, the better your business and marketing chops, the more you'll have in your toolbox to deal with everything that comes with being a writer. We don't just sit back and collect checks. There's marketing, contract know-how, and strategic decisions to make whether indie or trad. You have to know how to make your own website, strike up your own social media, and make sure no one is stabbing you in the back.
English lit? A skeptic here. Read the classics. Read the books in the syllabus. But major on it? One of the biggest complaints I read on the tubes is how college classes skew prose into such a pretzel that the only thing they teach is how to be obscure. I mean, I guess it depends on who you want your audience to be. People who turn their noses up at even well-written, people-accessible genre books? Or people who want to become enveloped in a story that transcends their everyday life?
Do I think you should be well-read? Fuck. Yeah. Am I slamming the classics? Not on whole. Do I think it's a shame profs aren't teaching basic plot structure during the entire curriculum? Oh yes.
One of the three links I gave you directly above (Immediate Fiction) was written by a man who was FURIOUS after he graduated from college and realized he still knew jack-shit about writing a book.
Reading journal articles is a good start but be careful because there are many poorly written published articles out there.
A book that could be really helpful is Writing Science - I haven't read it all personally but my supervisor outlined the major points in it before I started writing my thesis and it had some really good advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-Papers-Proposals-Funded/dp/0199760241
I like to sit in silence at my laptop. I need to be able to focus on my ideas. I tend to have a vague outline, but I like to let the work take me where it wants to go.
I'd love this.
If I handwrite - I prefer plain bic blue pen on yellow legal tablets, otherwise I preferred my Asus netbook until my husband ruined it by spilling chili oil on it - now I'm shopping for a replacement.
I prefer a starbucks or other cafe - but not the comfy chairs - I need the hardback chairs, not too close to the drink prep areas, 'cause that's too noisy, and close to the outlets for keeping my equip. charged. Panera is too noisy, cold and only has 30 mins of wifi free.
I need eats and drinks available and extra comfy longsleeved sweatshirts. And I use yarny.me online as my software because that way I won't lose my work and I can pick it back up anywhere and it's uncomplicated and free.
I'm just one wholesale slaughter away from finishing the first draft of a short novella, then I can get back to the first book in a trilogy that I already have outlined. I also have the first few chapters of a mystery/western series book, as well as other stories outlined for an anthology.
Whenever I get a good idea, I outline the heck out of it, because life is a determined b---h who likes to interrupt me at the slightest provocation.
This would be great as the next addition to my writing resource shelf.
I suspect most authors at least start out as pantsers. It's like riding a bike: you don't plan a long road trip your first try. You aim for reaching the end of the block without falling off, and try to decide if you really like doing this. It proves to be fun, you do it more and you get better. At some point you may find you have mastered the difficult skills involved in basic story telling (character, setting, action - resolution cycles, dialog, etc) and you want to take better control of the big picture stuff: theme and plot.
You also start thinking about the realities of making money doing this. That raises the question of efficiency. Ramming out 5,000 words a day sounds great, but if you have to rewrite it 7 times and cut 3,000 of those words, or worse yet, all 5,000 because you drove your plot into a dead end, then it isn't 5000 words, its about 10% of that. So outlining suddenly looks more productive.
How detailed? David Drake, a very prolific author, has posted the outline for one of his well-known Lt. Leary books because of all the requests. It's interesting to see how one pro does it: https://david-drake.com/2014/plot-outline/
On a personal side note, I'm switching from pantser to planner for two reasons: first, its easy for a plot run away from me. I've always got one more great idea or a cool plot twist. Suddenly, I'm trying down to edit a 240,000 word scifi novel. That editing is a lot less fun than writing it was.
The second reason I'm switching to planning is co-authoring. I'm working on a novel with another writer. We started by exchanging chapters. It became a contest over who controlled the plot and who could create the coolest characters. About the same time we discovered there are expectations from editors for plot arcs, and hard rules if you ever want to make it into a screen play. After 10 chapters we agreed we needed an outline. We followed "Structuring Your Novel" by Weiland, which gave us a model we could understand without too much study.
The proof of being a successful author is in SALES; whats the use of writing if you don't get read? I hate to admit it, but I've got almost a million words on paper in various projects, but none clean enough to sell. I blame pantsing for that; which is why I've switched to planning on everything new I start over 2500 words.
But however you choose to do it, don't feel trapped, just write on!
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
On Writing Well
Elements of Style
Thrill Me
Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft
---
^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot
Even better: http://www.amazon.com/Plotto-The-Master-Book-Plots/dp/1935639188
We read this book in a graduate writing seminar I took this semester. It was the first book we read and I thought it had some great ideas on how to develop a writing schedule and stick to it. We followed it with "Writing Science" by Josh Schimel which really gets into the details of how to write WELL, not just a lot. It's much more dense but worth looking into if you're committed to improving your writing. :)
That was unnecessary. Though I know nothing of OP's novel, there are definitely some types of stories and ideas that lend themselves more appropriately to a cinematic presentation. I think it is entirely fair for OP to be inquiring into what the technical aspects of screen writing are.
You may not be a scifi fan like me, but J. Michael Straczynski has solid credentials as an accomplished screenwriter. I have not read his book, nor explored the literature in this niche myself. Nonetheless, I think it would be worthwhile for /u/jennifer1911, regardless of her level of writing experience, to check out related titles for yourself. YMMV.
I know it's not explicitly geared for short stories but The Nighttime Novelist is my go-to text for how to think about structuring a larger work. Though I have yet to publish my first novel.
Short story writing is very different. Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction and Stephen King's On Writing are both wonderful craft books that shed some of the practicalities of the Nighttime Novelist and look a good writing in its simplest form.
Much more important than nonfiction books, though, is finding short story markets you'd like to read. Figure out what kind of place might accept the most perfect form of the fiction you'd like to write, and then read those magazines religiously. While you're reading, do what you can to consider what these stories are doing well and how they are pulling off what they are pulling off. Use the vocabulary learned from craft books to better articulate (to yourself, mostly) what these stories are really doing, and begin to generate a sense of what good writing looks like. Then practice, practice, practice, write, revise, and write some more until you've got something worth sending out.
At this point in your writing development, the name of the game is simply learning to write well--keep that in mind, and try to make decisions based on what will help you become a better writer. And finally remember, there is such a thing as "practicing well."
Heh, it's a hell of a lot easier to write walls of text. Anyone can take a dozen sentences to say something, but taking one to say the same thing it's trickier. Most aren't willing to put in the effort. And some people are just naturally verbose....butI'm sure my education didn't hurt my ability to write. I got a degree in philosophy which was basically "Write a hundred papers about a subject you don't really understand in such a way you can convince someone you do". As a writing exercise, it's pretty useful. If I learned anything from my years in college, it's how to argue, which comes down to writing cogently. Well, it also gave me the tools to win arguments the wrong way, with sophistry. Which I kind of delight in doing. It's like being given powers and using them for evil...
I always intended to write, but then my chronic illness came along and with it went my ability to concentrate well and most of my motivation (case in point, I just had to look up "motivation" because I couldn't remember the word). As far as writing goes, I say work from the ground up. Get something like this or this. Just my personal opinion, but I believe it's all about a good foundation. But you know what works best for you. The only other advice I'd give is just keep doing it. Like anything else, the best way to get good is practice. Even if the piece it isn't up to your standards it's a step.
God, fucking star signs. People are willing to believe the STUPIDEST shit. So everyone born in the same hospital as me at the same time should have identical lives and personalities? Yeah, evidence REALLY bears that out...garbage.
I'm a firm believer in the jack of all trades as a lifestyle choice. I find too many different things interesting to pick one and ignore the rest. I mean, almost all of the things I'm interested in would fall under "Academia", but so many different fields are fascinating. I don't think it's a character flaw, but then again, I wouldn't, since I'm right there with you. It's not indecisive if you find many things interesting yet none interesting enough to choose. You've chose the many over the one, a completely valid choice.
Ah, yeah, my parents were pretty lax too. Very few hard and fast rules. Probably kept me hanging around longer, but I also just really like both of my parents.
I've read a bit about mormonism, and how "The Temple" is super reserved for the elites. I've also driven past the one in DC with the overpass preceding it saying "Surrender Dorothy" because it looks like fricking Oz. I'd heard about people getting married in the temple but a lot of their family couldn't attend because they didn't count as "Mormons in good standing." Crazy. Not very "community" oriented at that point. I also remember seeing this youtube video of a guy who got pretty far up in the hierarchy before losing faith and he showed a bunch of the weird behind the scenes stuff. There's this whole ceremony with a LITERAL "secret handshake" and everyone is robed and your blindfolded. SO masonic. Interesting stuff.
I think "Humanist" sounds kinda....hippy dippy. It certainly doesn't imply "spiritual" in anyway. And certainly not compared to "Deist" which clearly posits a god from the word go. The lines between ALL spirituality branches are pretty blurry. I mean, on the whole, the big three religions are worshiping the same guy, the arguments merely boil down to how. And every religion basically says "There's a god and he wants you to be good" with the rest being window dressing.
Take a look at this recent post. There are some good suggestions in there.
I posted in there, but it still applies here: Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded. Great book, easy to read, and I saw great improvement in my writing.
Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots!
Believe me, it makes me a grumpy toast to shell out that much for likely outdated books. At least it's an ebook, though. CTRL+F FTW!
Still working through it, but I'm reading Writing Fiction for Dummies. I found it in my store and was actually pretty surprised. I'm not usually a fan of the quality of Dummies books but this one seems pretty comprehensive so far, if a little geared towards professional writing.
Immediate Fiction. Grab a copy. Read it cover-to-cover. He gets past all of the cruft and boils writing down to its essentials.
2 - 1.99 on my main list.
4 - 3.99 on my Kindle Book List.
6 - 6.00 on my main list.
8 - 8.00 on my main list.
Thanks for hosting the contest!!
A blog about how you start from scratch would be fun. Especially if you keep it up, you will be able to look back on it as a professional years from now and see how far you've come.
For writers of large worlds (I have my own persistent universe for my science fiction), I do recommend one thing: It is possible to have a universe that is TOO big. To avoid drowning your audience is needless details, be sure to learn how all the story elements PLAY TOGETHER. Characters advance the plot. The setting is the world that characters interact with. Characters run into conflict. Plot is all about the conflict. Etc etc .... all story elements are interconnected in every which possible way. If nothing works cohesively together, then you will run into disjointed issues in your writing.
To learn how these story elements are interconnected in a sort of "web-of-storytelling", I've enjoyed the Writing Fiction for Dummies book to help explain the basics. It definitely does NOT cover everything, but it's a good high level view of all story elements. Each element (i.e. plot, setting, characters, dialogue, etc) can and does have its own books by themselves. If you feel you are lacking in a specific element, you can potentially read up further into it.
Your fictional writing courses should help out as well. Again, be aware that you will not learn everything there is to know in your coursework.
I have a disclaimer though: Reading about writing, and taking the time to write are two different things. Do NOT spend a lot of money in hopes that self-help books alone will teach you everything there is to know. Most skill comes from experience and practice. This is where your blog will come into play. It will keep track of how well you improve over time.
You can do it!
As somebody also just starting out in the horror genre myself, my first advice is to try reading some horror novels. If you're trying to write something tense and psychological, read a psychological horror story. If you'remaking something gory, try and find something close but not too close. Once you have an idea of how they achieve what you're trying to achieve, give it a practice.
I would say the best way to achieve strong horror writing is to focus on a scary experience of your own and extrapolate. Think of how you felt. If you have to, simulate scary experiences. Go down the basement in the dark (or just generally around your house if you don't have one) after watching a scary movie (just make sure nothing is going to injure you like stuff on the stairs), or go on a rollercoaster, or whatever scares you. There are plenty of places like escape rooms as well that offer scarier packages too. Concentrate on what being scared feels like, both mentally and physiologically. Or even just play a scary game. I can recommend plenty if you want.
The only thing left is just to practice. Your first story is probably not going to be great. But that's fine.Do your best. Then write another. And another. And another. I personally recommend writing different types of horror as well - try your hand at slow burning horror, ghost horror, creature feature horror, haunted house horror, serial killer horror etc. Once you begin to understand how the horror works in each of them it should help you understand how to construct it in your work.
What name you submit your work to is up to you. Whatever you are most comfortable with. If you're not sure orr afraid, by all means do it under a different name until you feel more confident.
Lastly there are plenty of online articles and even books to give you guidance on writing horror and building tension. I quite like Rayne Hall's guidance books. They give step by step guides that allow you to slowly build it layer by layer and give you little exercises for each. Try this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Scary-Scenes-Professional-Techniques-ebook/dp/B008IEJTSE
If you have any other questions, feel free to reply or send me a direct message. I do have a sci-fi horror published. Well more sci-fi thriller but still elements of horror and tension.
I'm a firm believer that learning any skill is a matter of following a simple three step process: 1. Study; 2. Practice; 3. Get feedback. And, of course, repeat until... Well, basically until you die or lose interest. There's always more to learn.
Others have already addressed steps 2 and 3 (ad nauseum), but it's obvious what you're really asking for is resources for step 1, so here are a few of my personal favorites:
As a bonus, here are my two standard recommendations for where to go when you get to step 3 and are ready for peer critiquing:
K. M. Weiland's book Structuring Your Novel is awesome. She also has other books about outlining and character arcs that were super helpful for me.
used books?
anyway.. check out the reviews of this book on how to outline your novel:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978924622/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is a collection of tips and whatnot from a published author.
> If you're strictly adhering to quotas, it's likely to result in bland characters whose only defining feature is their race, or whatever the quota is about, created only to increase the numbers so the quotas are met.
There are a great many ways to create characters foreign to oneself with sensitivity, complexity, and love. I, as a white male writer, found this book edifying. Why don't you wait until you've seen Saheeli before calling her bland?
> Let people make the characters they want
They did. That's what they're doing here. MtG's Creative team sincerely desires to tell a story that represents the entirety of its player base because they find that both culturally valuable and aesthetically interesting. This was no Hasbro directive.
> If I were a minority, I'd rather have fewer characters of my demographic but very well conceived, that can be used as examples of great character development, than have hundreds of bland tokens.
Again, you know nothing about this one. You just saw a brown woman and started complaining. Does Ashiok's character suffer from being agender? Is Narset more or less interesting for being on the spectrum? I challenge you to feel less threatened by depictions of what you're not and to welcome them as fresh detail in your fiction.
Noticed some of your writing and see that you're applying the tag "journalist" to yourself.
You seem a bit confused as to what journalism actually is.
This should help you out:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Idiots-Guide-Journalism/dp/1592576702