There’s a difference between the ‘art’ of writing and the ‘craft’ of writing. Art is subjective, its beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder … but craft is objective. There is a right way and a wrong way to craft.
One of my favorite reference books is The Art and Craft of Novel Writing and beneath this book on my stack is The Art of Fiction.
Writers need a toolbox including the essential tools of grammar and punctuation combined with our voice, our unique story. Novel writing is not something to be entered into lightly.
What is in your Writer’s Toolbox?
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A Writer's Reference Library
What do you keep in your Reference Book Stack, Shelf or E-reader?
The Chicago Manual of Style has been referred to as a door-stopper, an editor’s tool, a ghastly book of rules.
I bought CMoS 16th edition just as CMoS 17 was releasing. I timed it to avoid paying $70. for
the new release. I recommend including this reference book in your writing library.
The CMoS is to writers what the DSM 5 is to psychiatrists.
Sally Christie
My other reference books include Reading People, a book about how physical movements and ways of speaking betray your characters.
I have the Pushcart Prize Winners to stay current on what a modern reader and writer are up to. What is selling in short fiction.
I have various crime reference books, motivational books and books on the art and craft of writing.
There are countless writing reference books, updated yearly, at your local library.
You can build your own reference library, stack or e-files in your own time, according to your needs and income.
A Reference Library for every writer is going to be as unique as the writer’s style. Go through your books once or twice a year. Add to it. Don’t be afraid to use it.
Join us for our Sunday Mini-Topic and tell us which books are hiding in your stack.
The Writer's Chat Room is Asking
Welcome to a Special Survey Edition of our Newsletter
It is a great time of year for a survey and we have one for you.
We also think it is a great time to thank you for signing up for our Newsletters. So Thank You!
Do you know it is okay to forward this newsletter to a Friend?
On Sunday we talked about Email Marketing. Thank you all for making it a successful Chat. Our Mid-week topic chat will be about blog tours.
Most of the websites I visited for this topic agreed that a blog tour takes place in a limited amount of time and should be orchestrated around your release date. There are some very good reasons behind the time limit. If you tour too soon, people are not going to impulsively buy your book after reading your blurb, excerpt and
review.
I have some experience participating in blog tours but I relied on a second party to set up the tours. There was a fee involved and I think it was worth the money I put in because many of the blog sites I appeared on reviewed my books.
Visit with us on Wednesday and we will explore the hows and whys of Virtual Book Tours.
