NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month, often shortened to NaNoWriMo, is an annual, international creative writing event in which participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript during the month of November. Here are some books to help guide you in your creative endeavors!
1000 words : a writer's guide to staying creative, focused, and productive all year round
Attenberg, Jami, author
2024
"With wisdom and inspiration from more than fifty beloved writers."-- Cover.
Before and after the book deal : a writer's guide to finishing, publishing, promoting and surviving your first book
Maum, Courtney, 1978- author
2020
Everything you've ever wanted to know about publishing but were too afraid to ask is right here in this funny, candid guide by acclaimed author Courtney Maum.
The book you were born to write : everything you need to (finally) get your wisdom onto the page and into the world
Notaras, Kelly, author
2018
Brave the page : a young writer's guide to telling epic stories
Stern, Rebecca (Editor)
2019
The founders of "National Novel Writing Month" offer practical advice on how to organize and commit to writing stories and novels, and includes motivating essays from such popular authors as John Green and Scott Westerfeld.
Gentle writing advice : how to be a writer without destroying yourself
Wendig, Chuck.
2023
With behind-the-scenes stories of Wendig's own writing struggles, sections on debunking popular advice, self-care tips, and more footnotes than are strictly necessary, Gentle Writing Advice will give the unvarnished truth about the writing process and remind you of what's actually important--taking care of the writer.
How to write a mystery : a handbook from Mystery Writers of America
2021
From the most successful mystery writers in the business, an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries--from character development and plot to procedurals and thrillers--a must-have for every aspiring mystery writer.
HowExpert guide to NaNoWriMo : 101 tips to learn how to develop characters, plots, and storylines to write a novel in a month
HowExpert Press, author
2022
"If you want to learn how to develop characters, plots, and storylines to write a novel in a month, then check out HowExpert Guide to NaNoWriMo. If you’ve always wanted to write a novel but have never been able to find the time, then HowExpert Guide to NaNoWriMo is the how to guide for you. NaNoWriMo is a worldwide event where authors come together online to write a 50,000 word novel in a single month. While the event itself is a challenge, this guide covers 101 tips and tricks on how you can write the best novel possible in just thirty days. Uncover the secrets and tricks of the trade to writing a full-length novel, the best way to develop your story, and how to write thousands of words every day with ease." -- Cover.
Mastering the process : from idea to novel
George, Elizabeth, 1949- author
2020
For many writers, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to take that earliest glimmer of inspiration and shape it into a full-length novel. How do you even begin to transform a single idea to a complete book? Elizabeth George takes us behind the scenes and into each step of her writing process, revealing exactly what it takes to craft a novel. Drawing from her personal photos, early notes, character analyses, and rough drafts, George shows us every step of how she wrote her novel Careless in Red, from researching location to imagining plot to creating characters to the actual writing and revision process itself. George offers us an intimate look at the process she follows, while also providing invaluable advice for writers about what's worked for her--and what hasn't.
Never say you can't survive
Anders, Charlie Jane, author
2021
A how-to book about the storytelling craft. This is also full of memoir, personal anecdote, and insight about how to flourish in the present emergency. In a nutshell the talk is all about how making up stories and creating worlds is an act of survival.
On writing : a memoir of the craft
King, Stephen, 1947-
2020
Stephen King reflects on how his writing has helped him through difficult times and describes various aspects of the art of writing.
The science of storytelling : why stories make us human and how to tell them better
Storr, Will, author
2020
Who would we be without stories? Stories mold who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human. There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story from Joseph Campbell's well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the 'Bestseller Code'. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand storytelling in its grandest sense, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller, the human brain.
Storyville! : an illustrated guide to writing fiction
Dufresne, John, author
2020
A smart and funny guide to writing fiction, with engaging infographics that bring storytelling techniques to life. Whether you are daunted by a blinking cursor or frustrated trying to get the people in your head onto the page, writing stories can be intimidating. It takes passion, tenacity, patience, and a knowledge of and faith in the often-digressive writing process. A do-it-yourself manual for the apprentice fiction writer, Storyville! demystifies that process; its bold graphics take you inside the writer's comfortingly chaotic mind and show you how stories are made.
Wild words : rituals, routines, and rhythms for braving the writer's path
Gulotta, Nicole.
2019
"A guide for the next generation of writers--self-care rituals, creativity-generating rhythms, and personalized strategies for embracing your craft no matter what life throws at you. Part memoir and part spirit guide, Wild Words is a book about the intersection of our creative soul with everything else, and how to make peace, make priorities, and ultimately, make progress by slowing down and embracing whatever season we're in, right now. This isn't a how-to guide filled with systems and formulas that promise a first draft in 90 days. Instead, Wild Words is an invitation to explore the emotional aspects of living a creative life, and the myriad of ways to establish routines and rhythms that support a sustainable writing practice. It shares lessons the author has learned the hard way, like how powerful it can be to embrace your creative history (and how to access your own), why self-care is an essential aspect of any writer's path (with suggestions for how to make these practices accessible), and small but essential mindset shifts, like how to see your career as a partner (rather than an obstacle) in your writing life. Above all, Wild Words offers a new way to approach our creative lives. It helps untangle the messy process of embracing our circumstances, trusting our own voice, and making time to put pen to paper, year after year"-- Provided by publisher.
Wordcraft : the complete guide to clear, powerful writing
Hart, Jack, 1946- author.
2021
Writing coach Jack Hart breaks down the writing process into a series of manageable steps, from idea to polishing. Filled with real-world examples, both good and bad, Wordcraft shows how to bring such characteristics as force, brevity, clarity, rhythm, and color to any kind of writing. -- Adapted from Amazon.com summary.
Write for your life
Quindlen, Anna, author
2022
"Write for Your Life is a guide for those who don't, won't, or think they can't write, what Anna Quindlen calls "civilians." Using examples past, present and future--from Anne Frank to Toni Morrison to members of her own family--Quindlen makes vivid all the ways in which writing connects us to ourselves and to those we cherish. From love letters written after World War II to journal reflections from nurses and doctors today, and using her personal experiences not just as a writer but as a mother and daughter, Quindlen makes the case that recording our daily lives in an enduring form is more important than ever. All of our histories, of current events and personal challenges, can be understood and passed down through the written word; "to write the present," Quindlen says, "is to believe in the future." Write for Your Life is a clarion call to pick up the pen, and find yourself"-- Provided by publisher.
The writer's home companion : an anthology of the world's best writing advice, from Keats to Kunitz
1997
Writing in color : fourteen writers on the lessons we've learned
2023
"Rethink the way you approach writing in this revolutionary and informative new anthology from fourteen diverse authors that demystifies craft and authorship based on their experiences as writers of color--perfect for fans of Fresh Ink and Our Stories, Our Voices"-- Provided by publisher.
Writing without rules : how to write & sell a novel without guidelines, experts, or (occasionally) pants
Somers, Jeff, 1971-
2018