When learning to write, finding the best books on the craft can be daunting. It seems a new book is released daily.

This list has been compiled from both personal experience and recommendations from published authors.

REFERENCE

A Good Dictionary
The Chicago Manual of Style The University of Chicago Press
Roget’s Thesaurus
The Synonym Finder by J.L. Rodale
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

GENERAL

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne & King
Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them) by Jack M. Bickham
On Writing-A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King
GMC by Debra Dixon

PLOTTING

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
The Weekend Novelist by Robert J. Ray
Beginnings, Middles & Ends By Nancy Kress

CHARACTERIZATION

Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins
Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Creating Character Emotions by Ann Hood
Breathing Life into your Characters by Rachel Ballon, Ph.D.

DIALOGUE

Dialogue by Gloria Kempton

MISCELLANEOUS

The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals by Moira Allen

FOR NON-FICTION PROPOSALS
Book Proposals That Sell 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success by W. Terry Whalin


Before purchasing any reference/study book, I recommend checking it out from your library first. After you’ve read it and determined it is a book you would refer to often, add it to your personal library.

Learning the Craft - Books on Writing