Story Sensei

These are books on writing craft and business that helped me a lot when I first started writing, so many of these are rather old. I haven't read all the different writing books out there, and I haven't read many of the newer writing books, so this list isn't comprehensive, it's just a list of the books that helped me the most. (Updated 11/21/2019) Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell Stein on Writing by Sol Stein Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon Getting into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors by Brandilyn Collins 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress Writing for Emotional Impact: Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End by Ka

Don’t go it alone--join a writing community for feedback, encouragement, and information. Communities: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW, formerly American Christian Romance Writers): This is a terrific community of Christian fiction writers, and they also hold an annual fiction writers’ conference. Membership is very inexpensive, and it includes a writers’ discussion email loop, online forum discussion boards, a mentorship program, an email critique group program (small groups of 4-5 writers each), and dozens of helpful writing workshops. Each year, they hold an annual conference and the Genesis contest for unpublished writers. Faith, Hope, Love chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America): This wonderful group of Christian romance writers provides encouragement and information. There are many published authors who participate on their email loop. They provide a mentorship program, a Finish-the-Book program, and a Guestlink Q&A with published authors. Each year, they have