The Shortlist #2 - Books About Writing

First off, I would like to issue an apology.  As I mentioned in my last post, I have not been writing, or even blogging here with any sort of frequency.  As a result, I have lost a subscriber or two here, so thank you to those of you who have stuck around.  I will attempt to post more and have actual things of interest to say in the future.

The following is a handy list of great books on the subject of writing, and all of the various aspects of the craft.  I don't know if all of these are still in print, but they are certainly worth seeking out.  Hopefully my descriptions of these books aren't too sparing, but the point of this is that you read those books rather than my descriptions.  So, in no particular order, here they are!

1.  The Elements of Style - Strunk and White
If you don't know why this book is important, read it.  If you already know, read it again.

2.  Essentials of English - Hopper, Gale, Foote, and Griffith
This covers a lot of the same ground as The Elements of Style, but there are a few other worthwhile extras  here.

3.  On Writing Well - William Zinsser
While this book is directed toward the nonfiction writer, there is a lot of very useful advice within for any writer, particularly when dealing with voice.

4.  On Writing - Stephen King
The first half of this book is something of a memoir, but there is a whole lot of very useful information after that.  It covers just about anything you may need to know about the writing process, and just judging by popularity/sales, I think Mr. King might have something worthwhile to say, don't you?

5.  Self-Editing For Fiction Writers - Renni Browne and Dave King
A book all about one of the hardest tasks for the writer.  This will help keep you from making all those stupid mistakes that will cause an editor to tear your beloved stories apart.

6.  Writing For Story - Jon Franklin
Again, this is more geared to the nonfiction crowd, but has some very useful material on editing and polish.

7.  Danse Macabre - Stephen King
I might be playing favourites with this selection just a little bit, but this is one of the best books on horror theory I know.  It's somewhat outdated now, but it is definitely still worth looking at if you can find it.