We spend a lot of time here in the chat room talking about the art and craft of writing Novels and Short Stories and we spend very little time about crafting nonfiction.
Writing and selling an article to a magazine is a great place for writers to get a toe into the publishing world or earn some street creds. Articles generally pay once and then the rights return to the author. The slant or application or theme of the article can be turned and tuned and re-focused and many times live a second or third
life in other magazines or newsletters.
My awesome article addressing the ongoing needs of a closed land-fill may be revived and edited to fit well into a home-school unit study. Hopefully, I would be paid for each appearance.
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.
