by Shirley Holder Platt

As writers, we must be constantly learning about our craft. Total beginners and seasoned authors can all learn from others who have gone before. I began reading about how to be a writer years before I started writing anything I’d have dared to show anyone else. But after publishing my first book, I realized I needed to let people know what I’d written.

There are many books to assist us on our journeys. The authors of the following books, although I’ve never met one of them in person, are mentors to me. If you need advice on writing, publishing, marketing, or simply want to understand how this world of telling and sharing stories works, just open up any of these:

1. On Writing by Stephen King
2. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
3. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
4. Writing a Page-Turner by Mark Dawson with Elizabeth Bailey
5. Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
6. 5 Secrets of Story Structure by K.M. Weiland
7. Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
8. If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
9. How to Make a Living With Your Writing by Joanna Penn
10. Write and Grow Rich by Adam Houge
11. One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty
12. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
13. Manual of Style and Usage by The New York Times
14. Shoot Your Novel by C.S. Lakin
15. Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins
16. Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque
17. The Indie Author Mindset by Adam Croft
18. GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon
19. Super Structure by James Scott Bell
20. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Happy writing!

Shirley Holder Platt is the author of twelve romance, one chick lit, and one romantic mystery novel. She has one crime/comedy novel, Mama Needs New Shoes, that won the October 2018 Most Buzz Award. Several of her now-published novels appeared first on ChapterBuzz.