Last month, I discussed some of my favorite “how-to” books about the writing craft. There are many great books with helpful tips about harnessing your creativity and writing a compelling page turner. They tell you how to get started and guide you along the way. There are also wonderful resources to keep at your fingertips as you unleash your inner muse and draft your masterpiece.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary is an absolute necessity. I have both a print copy and an online version tabbed on my computer screen. I use the dictionary to confirm that words are spelled correctly and used in the proper context. I also make use of the thesaurus feature to come up with creative phrases and avoid redundancy. The Chicago Manual of Style is another essential guide, as it touts on its cover. I thought grammar and punctuation rules were static—never changing. But apparently modern trends have changed some of the rules I was taught in school (back in the days of the dinosaur). My poor editor had to enlighten me.
My all-time favorite resource is a book that was given to me by my youngest son to help me “show” not “tell.” The Emotion Thesaurus includes an alphabetized table of contents listing a broad spectrum of potential emotions. Each category contains a definition, physical signs, internal sensations, associated powerful verbs, and more. My son also gave me A Writer’s Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions, which has proven to be a great resource when I’m searching for just the right word.
I struggle with self-promotion and marketing. It is definitely not my thing. So, I purchased three books that were highly recommended: Sisters in Crime Promophobia, the Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque, and Your Book, Your Brand by Dana Kaye. I haven’t had a chance to read them yet, but they are in my TBR pile. The tips and suggestions should be helpful when I launch my first book…fingers crossed.
