 | How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
Buy new: $14.93 / Used from: $6.97 If you only pick up one book, make it this one. Well written, to the point, and friendly. Not a bit of condescending snippishness anywhere.
|
 | The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes by Jack Bickham
Buy new: $10.39 / Used from: $2.30 Don't be afraid to say "Said".......
|
 | Dictionary of the Occult and Paranormal by J. P. Chaplin
Buy used from: $7.21 You'll need it for basic reference
|
 | The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference by Writers Digest
Buy new: $11.55 / Used from: $7.40 Invaluable information
|
| Man and the beasts within: The encyclopedia of the occult, the esoteric, and the supernatural by Benjamin Walker
Buy used from: $16.00 Do you want a bad villian, or a really really really bad villian??
|
 | The Medieval Underworld by Andrew McCall
Buy used from: $7.05 What did people REALLY think of all those deviant things your characters keep doing? How did they handle witches and thieves and homosexuals and vagrants and prostitutes? Find out here.
|
| The Directory of Possibilities by Colin Wilson
Buy used from: $0.46 Don't ever get stuck (pun intended) without this book
|
 | Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction (Writing Handbooks) by Lisa Tuttle
Buy used from: $3.15 Not the best, so don't make this your only source, but Tuttle has worked closely with George R. R. Martin, one of the masters.
|
 | Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Jack Bickham
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $5.00 Good basic help
|
 | Elements of Writing Fiction - Characters & Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Orson Scott Card
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $3.00 Good basic help
|
 | Elements of Writing Fiction - Description (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Monica Wood
Buy new: $10.39 / Used from: $4.99 Good basic help
|
 | Elements of Writing Fiction - Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Ansen Dibell
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $4.45 Good basic help
|
 | Elements of Writing Fiction - Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Nancy Kress
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $4.37 Good basic help
|
 | The Writer's Guide to Character Traits: Includes Profiles of Human Behaviors and Personality Types (Writer's Market Library) by Linda Edelstein
Buy used from: $2.45 You'll need it if you want to extrapolate on why your character does what he does
|
| The Mysterious World: An Atlas of the Unexplained by Francis Hitching
Buy used from: $0.08 Good reference for natural and unnatural phenomenon
|
 | How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $5.91 Orson Scott Card is a good teacher
|
 | How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction
Buy used from: $0.90 Tips and Tools from the Masters, like Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Marion Zimmerman Bradley and Charles L. Grant.
|
 | Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph Gies
Buy new: $11.69 / Used from: $0.59 Very helpful for Fantasy writing
|
 | Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare by Matthew Bennett
Buy used from: $12.95 Fairly helpful
|
 | Aliens and Alien Societies (Science Fiction Writing Series) by Stanley Schmidt
Buy used from: $8.63 Good for fantasy also, helpful for rethinking "societies" in general, not just alien ones.
|
 | World Building (Science Fiction Writing) by Stephen Gillett
Buy new: $14.52 / Used from: $7.70 Better for Sci-Fi than fantasy, but still useful as a broad reference
|
 | Book of Vile Darkness (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement) by Monte Cook
Buy used from: $10.95 Don't try and write a book like a D&D game or novel, but grab one of these used (and preferably cheap, otherwise don't bother) because there are good tips for awful things your villians can do
|
 | Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online Subscription by Merriam-Webster
Buy new: $17.79 / Used from: $8.21 You'll need an up to date dictionary
|
 | Merriam Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $0.27 You'll need an up to date Thesaurus
|
 | Book of Shadows by Phoenix
Buy new: $11.16 / Used from: $8.73 Get yourself any old blank journal book, a big one for home and a pocket size for your purse (or car). Always have something to write down your thoughts onto, right away before they fade......
|
Listmania!
