I’ve read them all.
Studied several in depth.
And read a few over and over.
I want to share with you the three books that have made the most difference in my writing life. These are totally unrelated, but all cover three areas:
1. Encouragement
2. Craft
3. Freedom
Read them now. Study them as you can. Refer to them often.
About this book:
Beloved NYT bestselling author Cecil (Cec) Murphey says, “The best kind of writing occurs when it comes from the heart. It’s called being authentic or transparent. Too many writers have an insatiable need to be accepted, liked, or admired, and those needs become more important than being true to their convictions. Be you when you write.”
But having the courage to tap into your innermost self and write purely from your spirit doesn’t always come naturally, which is why he wrote Unleash the Writer Within to guide you along the way. In this book, Cec helps you:
* Answer why you write;
* Find the real you;
* Understand your inner critic;
* Determine your strengths and weaknesses;
* Honor, embrace, and grow your voice;
* Discover your rhythm;
* Overcome your barriers to honest writing.
Unleash the Writer Within is sure to become your most-used and marked-up writing companion. It also serves as an excellent resource for writers’ events, group discussions, and conferences.
Unleash the Writer Within touched my heart deeply. Learning to be authentic is not for the faint of heart. And I found the courage to write more transparently than I ever thought I could. Everyone might not like my writing but Cecil Murphey gave me the go-ahead to be myself.
About this book:
Dear Novelist: Would you like your readers to live your stories, not merely read them? Deep Point of View anchors your readers inside the point of view character(s) of your novel. This handbook shows you how to perform the transformation from ordinary narrative to deep narrative in clear, easy-to-master steps. I invite you to sweep your writing to the next level with a technique that creates immediacy and intimacy with your readers and virtually eliminates show/don't tell issues. My Best to You, Jill
I’d reached a plateau in my writing when I discovered this deep point of view gem. I learned the keys to going deeper through use of words, phrases, and more mastery of the craft. It’s taken a lot of practice and I’m still studying deep point of view but this book pointed the way to connecting to my readers in a more personal way.
About this book:
Don't limit your fiction - LIBERATE IT. All too often, following the "rules" of writing can constrict rather than inspire you. With Story Trumps Structure, you can shed those rules - about three-act structure, rising action, outlining, and more - to craft your most powerful, emotional, and gripping stories.
Award-winning novelist Steven James explains how to trust the narrative process to make your story believable, compelling, and engaging, and debunks the common myths that hold writers back from creating their best work.
· Ditch your outline and learn to write organically.
· Set up promises for readers - and deliver on them.
· Discover how to craft a satisfying climax.
· Master the subtleties of characterization.
· Add mind-blowing twists to your fiction.
When you focus on what lies at the heart of story - tension, desire, crisis, escalation, struggle, discovery - rather than plot templates and formulas, you'll begin to break out of the box and write fiction that resonates with your readers. Story Trumps Structure will transform the way you think about stories and the way you write them, forever.
Story Trumps Structure is the latest writing book I’ve read and was worth every penny. I guess after reading 46 books on writing you can get confused, rule-oriented, and limited by trying to follow everyone’s advice. That’s what happened to me. Steven James gave me permission to write that rough draft organically (discovering my story as I write works best for me) and forgetting the rules until finished. Then I could go back and decide what rules I needed to make my story stronger and which ones I didn’t. I’m out of the box, folks, and not planning on returning…
Taking my writing to the next level empowered me to pen stories and relate to my readers like never before. And it’s so fulfilling to me when I release every bit of the story within at first, then edit until it resonates with my audience.
I’m still a work-in-progress, but much happier and content than ever before since reading these great books. Check them out.
And find a deeper level of freedom.
Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern and Southern Speculative fiction and her website and monthly newsletter focuses on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction.
Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern and Southern Speculative fiction and her website and monthly newsletter focuses on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction.
Jessie’s Hope, her first novel published by Firefly Southern Fiction is a Selah Award nominee for First Novel. You can subscribe to her newsletter here and visit her on Facebook, Facebook author page, Twitter, and Pinterest.
When she isn’t babysitting, gardening, or exploring the beautiful state of Alabama, you can find her at her desk penning fiction or studying the craft of writing. She also loves reading fantasy novels, supernatural stories, and detective fiction from the Golden Age and viewing movies like LOTR or Star Wars. Sometimes you can even catch her watching American Ninja Warrior.
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