Books on Writing

We recommend the following books on writing.

Stein on Writing

by Sol Stein

Sol Stein's a successul agent who has decades of experience from the publishing business. In this book he shares his thoughts on what makes a good book and what you need to do if you're going to catch an agent's or publisher's attention.
Stein On Writing

How to Grow a Novel

by Sol Stein

Another book by Sol Stein which is quite good too. These two books by Sol Stein overlap slightly but nevertheless they contain a decent amount of tips and good practice which you don't want to miss.
How to Grow a Novel

The First Five Pages

by Noah Lukemann

This book has the subtitle "How to stay out of the rejection pile" and that's exactly what the book's about. It contains a number of tips, things to avoid, the major mistakes which drive publishers crazy. This book's a must read... if you want to stay out of the rejection pile.
The First Five Pages

The Plot Thickens

by Noah Lukemann

The book has the sub title "8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life". Some writers have a tendency to write stories which don't catch your attention much more than the morning paper. Noah tells you what you can do to thicken your plot, to make it more interesting, catching your readers' attention.
The Plot Thickens

Write Great Fiction - Dialogue

by Gloria Kempton

This is by far the best book I've read on writing dialog. Gloria shares her best tips and explains what you should think about when crafting a realistic and deep dialog. Filled with examples and detailed explanations and motivations.
Write Great Fiction - Dialogue (Write Great Fiction)

On Writing

by Stephen King

An interesting and entertaining book on writing, which combines funny episodes from Stephen King's childhood with concrete tips on how to craft a great novel. A good read.
On Writing

Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure

by James Scott Bell

The book has the sub title "Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish". An interesting book published by Writer's Digest, which usually means quality. And it's a good read on how to plan the structure of the book and the plot.
Plot & Structure

Write Great Fiction - Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint

by Nancy Kress

If you need to develop your characters and emotions, then this book's a good choice. Published by Writers Digest Books in the Write Great Fiction series, which we can really recommend.
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint

Write Great Fiction - Description & Setting

by Ron Rozelle

Another one in the Write Great Fiction series, on description and setting. Are your descriptions poor and do you need to develop your settings? Filled with exercises and examples. A good read.
Description & Setting