Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

Plot & Structure: (Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips REaders From Start to finish) (Write Great Fiction)

Plot & Structure: (Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips REaders From Start to finish) (Write Great Fiction)

by James Scott Bell

The second book in the Write Great Fiction series, Plot & Structure offers clear and concise information on creating a believable and engaging plot that readers can't resist. Written by award-winning thriller and suspense author James Scott Bell, this handy instruction guide provides: * Easy-to-understand techniques on every aspect of plotting and structure, from brainstorming story ideas to building... (more)

Writer's Guide to Character Traits (Writer's Guide to Character Traits)

Writer's Guide to Character Traits (Writer's Guide to Character Traits)

by Linda Edelstein

With over 40,000 copies sold, "The Writer's Guide to Character Traits" is a classic reference for writers who want to create realistic and distinct characters. Written by Dr. Linda Edelstein, a practicing psychologist who is an authority in her field, it includes: over 400 easy-to-reference character listings, detailing typical behaviours and thought processes as well as common reactions to different situations;... (more)

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

by Francine Prose

Long before there were creative-writing workshops and degrees, how did aspiring writers learn to write? By reading the work of their predecessors and contemporaries, says Francine Prose. In Reading Like a Writer , Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and the tricks of the masters. She reads the work of the very best writers&#8212Dostoyevsky, Flaubert, Kafka, Austen,... (more)

Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint : (Techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints) (Write Great Fiction)

Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint : (Techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints) (Write Great Fiction)

by Nancy Kress

The indispensable Write Great Fiction series continues with an in-depth look at three of the most important tools in the writer's craft: character, emotion and viewpoint. With the tips and techniques in this book, readers will learn how to: -Create compelling characters that readers believe in -Write scenes that deliver an unforgettable emotional impact -Distinguish among the many different kinds of... (more)

Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

by Nancy Kress

Covering the main elements of fiction writing, Beginnings, Middles & Ends demonstrates effective solutions for potential problems, from how to hook the editor in the 1st few paragraphs to building drama and credibililty in prose.'

Scene and Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Scene and Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)

by Jack M. Bickham

Using many examples from his own work, Jack Bickham shows writers how to construct solid, believable narratives that keep editors and readers anxiously turning the pages.'

Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing)

by Ansen Dibell

This book is about identifying the choices available when creating, fixing, steering, and discovering plots and then learning what narrative problems they are apt to create and how to choose an effective strategy for solving them. The result? Strong, solid stories and novels that move.

Description & Setting (Write Great Fiction)

Description & Setting (Write Great Fiction)

by Ron Rozelle

For a story to be successful, it must come alive on the page. With Description & Setting, writers learn how to make every detail count as they create believable people, places and events. Another book in the popular Write Great Fiction series, this valuable reference: -Shows writers how to master the challenging--and often overlooked--subjects of description and setting -Offers hands-on action-and-results... (more)

Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time

Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time

by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

In Make a Scene , author Jordan E. Rosenfeld takes you through the fundamentals of strong scene construction and explains how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character, plot, and dramatic tension, must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story. You'll learn how to: Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and... (more)

On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells

On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells

by Leigh Michaels

In On Writing Romance, award-winning romance novelist Leigh Michaels talks you through each stage of the writing and publishing process. From the origins and evolution of the romance novel to establishing a vital story framework to writing that last line to seeking out appropriate publishers, everything you ever wanted to know about writing a romance novel is here. In addition to a comprehensive... (more)

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights

by Ariel Gore

This may come as a shock, but brilliant writing and clever wordplay do not a published author make. True, you’ll actually have to write if you want to be a writer, but ultimately literary success is about much more than putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys). Before you snap your pencil in half with frustration, please consider the advice writer, teacher, and self-made lit star Ariel Gore offers in this useful... (more)

THE WRITER'S BLOCK 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination

THE WRITER'S BLOCK 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination

by Jason Rekulak

Inspiration Running Low? Is Your Muse out to Lunch? Need a Nudge to Channel Your Creativity? Here’s the first book on writer’s block that’s packaged in the shape of a block—3" x 3" x 3"—with 672 pages and more than 200 photographs throughout. Next time you’re stuck, just flip open THE WRITER'S BLOCK to any page and you’ll find an idea or exercise that will jump-start your imagination. Many of these... (more)

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed

by Donald Maass

This powerful book builds on the success of it predecessor-Writing the Breakout Novel-and takes readers to the next level: improving their work with practical, hands-on lessons and exercises. With patented techniques from his popular writing workshops, Donald Maass shows fiction writers exactly how to make their work stand out from the crowd. Readers will learn how to strengthen any novel-in-progress, with... (more)

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

by David Gerold

Worlds of Wonder showcases the range and power of the human imagination, transported across strange worlds, lost civilizations, and brave new realities. Now, with the help of David Gerrold, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, readers will learn, step-by-step, how to turn their words into works of wonder. Drawing on a career spanning three decades of writing and teaching, Gerrold also uses examples from... (more)

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

by Syd Field

A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field’s bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider’s perspective on the film industry today. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are easily understood guidelines to... (more)

Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue (Write Great Fiction)

Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue (Write Great Fiction)

by Gloria Kempton

How do some writers craft conversation so authentic, it feels like they've been eavesdropping? What's the secret behind getting characters to talk to each other? How can writers make their dialogue sing? Answers to all of these questions and more can be found in Gloria Kempton's in-depth look at this crucial component of fiction. Readers will learn how to create dialogue that sizzles, with tips on: *... (more)

How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make

How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make

by Denny Martin Flinn

Finally, what may be the last screenwriting book a writer will ever need to buy! Written by a Hollywood screenwriter, How NOT to Write A Screenplay carefully identifies and examines the common mistakes screenwriters invariably make when writing a screenplay.

Space Travel (Science Fiction Writing Series)

Space Travel (Science Fiction Writing Series)

by Ben Bova

Take a tour of space with "Space Travel" that explains science to help readers make fiction plausible. Readers will see what is real today and what may become real tomorrow.

Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder

by Mary W. Cornog

The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder allows you to enjoy informative and entertaining discussions of English words derived from Greek and Latin roots--and expand your working vocabulary at the same time. Words that share the same root are grouped for easy study. Quizzes let you test how much you've learned.

Description (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Description (Elements of Fiction Writing)

by Monica Wood

When writers make their descriptions fresh, they move their stories forward and imbue their work with atmosphere. Monica Wood helps squeeze the greatest flavour from language and provides insight into how detail, editing, style, point of view and original word depictions can be used to create unforgettable images that will stick with readers for a lifetime.

Shelfari Book Activity

Tags: writing reference

by James Scott Bell

by Linda Edelstein

by Francine Prose

by Nancy Kress

by Nancy Kress

by Jack M. Bickham

by Ansen Dibell

by Ron Rozelle

by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

by Leigh Michaels

by Ariel Gore

by Jason Rekulak

by Donald Maass

by David Gerold

by Syd Field

by Gloria Kempton

by Denny Martin Flinn

by Ben Bova

by Mary W. Cornog

by Monica Wood