Writers Tools: Books I’ve Found Useful

Writing Crime Fiction (Creative Writing Masterclass) - Rosemary Rowe

Although there is some general advice for honing writing skills, this book is designed to be specific to crime writing. I love how easy it is to dip in and out of, and it covers topics such as creating settings and characters; plotting and structure; style and viewpoint, and how to drop ‘clues’ into your narrative. What it doesn’t do is tell you about police procedural, which is good as that is something I prefer to research online or ask trusted friends in the know! Unless the book is completely up-to-the-minute, policies and procedures could’ve changed before you finish writing. In terms of gaining valuable police insight, I often go to Rebecca Bradley’s website (www.rebeccabradleycrime.com) as she has a whole host of resources on her blog, and she also runs a police fact-checking service.

Writing Magazine – so, not a book, but a monthly magazine! This publication always contains useful articles. It also acts as a great motivator for me when I’m feeling sluggish. Reading other writers’ stories and gaining hints and tips about different forms of writing is inspirational and sets the ‘writing fire’ going again. I have been subscribing for years and have never thrown a copy out – so I have quite the collection. When I first subscribed I got a free gift (see below) which is my ‘go-to’ kit:

You Can Write A Novel Kit – James V. Smith, Jr. 

This, for me, has been an invaluable tool. I love it and have used it for every novel. In the kit there is a book that covers the initial idea through to revision of the finished novel; several pads of paper for scene development, major character development, minor character development, and a revision tracker. I use the sheets to handwrite all the relevant detail for the characters and then pin them to my trusty corkboard. As soon as the time comes to start thinking about a new novel idea, I go straight to this kit.

Reading Like a Writer – Francine Prose

I haven’t read this book cover-to-cover but have found useful tips by flicking through. I do want to read it all, though, and so that is my goal for this year! It covers topics like narration and dialogue, exploring the tools and tricks of famous writers to discover why their work has endured the test of time. There are some real gems in there!

On Writing – Stephen King

It’s Stephen King – the man can do no wrong, can he? I found this book to be a fascinating insight into him and his writing process. Not only do you get to read his life story, but the advice and inspiration packed in the pages are brilliant. It’s a book that helped me to get going and motivated me, rather than one I feel I will keep referring to, but it’s definitely worth a read and is probably one of the most recommended writing books ever!