Writing Resources 7 Books For Improving Your Manuscript

Writing Resources: 7 Books For Improving Your Manuscript

Whether a crawling novice or polished professional, writers from every walk of life have room for improvement in their work. An endless array of rules and techniques must be kept in mind when writing – punctuation, grammar, transition, show don’t tell, etc. As a result, it’s extremely important to have a firm grasp on the fundamentals. By stressing the fundamentals, coaches and trainers have transformed individuals of modest talent into world class competitors. Why should writing be any different? Focus on the fundamentals and success will follow.

Below is a list of seven books I believe every writer should read and re-read. Some of these books focus on writing fiction. But even if your exclusive domain is as a nonfiction writer, you can benefit enormously from the tips in these books. Remember, the best writers show instead of tell. And there’s no better way to paint a vivid picture in the mind of a reader than by employing some of the basic principles of fiction writing. So keep an open mind. And if you long to improve your writing skills, devour these books with the utmost enthusiasm.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

A classic moving into its eighth decade, The Elements of Style should be second only to the dictionary in the life of a writer. In a clear and concise manner, it spells out the rules of usage, explains the principles of composition, provides commentary on matters of form, and gives twenty-one ground rules for creating written words that harbor universal appeal.

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Written by a successful literary agent, The First Five Pages speaks directly to writers aspiring to see their words appear in print. The author stresses the importance of not only the first five pages, but the first five words. The book teaches writers how to refine a manuscript so that it’s an instant attention-grabber – one that hooks not only agents and editors, but the end reader himself.

The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman

Lukeman’s follow-up book, The Plot Thickens promises “8 ways to bring fiction to life”. And if you follow the rules in this book, your fiction writing will improve dramatically. Lukeman explains that great fiction is more than just a good storyline. Great fiction stems from well-developed characters, motivations, suspense, and conflict.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey

A classic bestseller that caters to the aspiring fiction writer, How to Write a Damn Good Novel delivers on its promise to provide “a step-by-step no nonsense guide to dramatic storytelling”. Author James Frey creates an A-to-Z, easy-to-follow roadmap for success in fiction by stressing the fundamentals of excellent writing.

On Writing by Stephen King

Written more as “a memoir of the craft” than a “how to” book, Stephen King’s On Writing provides readers with a unique glimpse into the mind and work habits of one of the bestselling writers of all-time. How many “how to” books can do that? Trust me on this one, you’re bound to find a few tips you can apply to your own writing.

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

As editor to some of the most successful authors of the 20th Century, and a bestselling author himself, Sol Stein provides valuable insight into the secrets of the trade. Each chapter is a brief lesson on how to improve at least one aspect of your work. Stein even provides a chapter titled “Using the Techniques of Fiction to Enhance Nonfiction”. This is an excellent resource for writers.

How to Grow a Novel by Sol Stein

In this book, Stein focuses more on the fiction writer and the specific process of writing a novel. But writers from every walk of life can benefit as Stein explores common mistakes of writers and offers a blueprint for bringing a story to life.

Commit to memory the principles espoused in these books, and your writing skills will improve by leaps and bounds. You’ll experience success in almost every area of your life due to your improved ability to communicate. So what are you waiting for? Start reading now!

BONUS : Writing Short Articles Is Easy

Short article writing is as not as difficult as you think. No, it is not a daunting task if you know what to do. Just remember that when you write, the important thing is that you catch your reader’s attention. You must make them want to read what you wrote. Here are the tips that you can follow when writing your article?

You and Your Readers

Grab you reader’s attention. Remember that at first glance your title must reflect the benefit they would receive from reading your article. Writing compelling titles is an art itself. It must have pizzazz and it must sizzle by itself. You must create a title that will grab your reader’s attention and hold it. Do not be afraid to be outrageous even. Your introductory words or paragraph must tell your readers how reading your article will help them out or improve them. It must be formatted in such a way that when your readers scan your article, it would be viewed as a light, easy and interesting reading. How do you ensure that your article is easy to scan? Use bullets, headings, sub-headings, numbered lists, and steps.

Talk to your reader. Learn to be specific in your purpose and narrow down your article to its exact target audience. Make sure that your articles will be understood by varied audience regardless of their age, educational background or race. Connect to your reader as a friend, giving him an advice. Make your article friendly.

You and Your Topics

Prepare an outline. Writing would be easier also if you have an outline on hand. Determine the number of paragraphs you would like your article to have, your outline headings and sub points for each heading. Your outline headings must not vary from the main topic of the article but must be supportive of the main heading. Your subtopics for each outline headings must be related to the main heading and to each outline heading.

Take note that your article should be concise, informative and interesting. Do not write lengthy paragraphs that would bore your reader. Keep it short and readable. You can give examples, but make sure that they are short. It is also important to write simple sentences and use words that are understandable to almost any reader. Use the simplest words. Avoid using words which are very technical except when it is really necessary. Use words of direct and powerful actions and expressions. Use active voice in writing sentences. This would be more positive in impression. Do not include unnecessary or excessive words.

Be informative and substantive. Your article must be practical and valuable. You must do your research to make sure that your article will come out like you really know what you are talking about. Avoid lengthy idioms, analogies, quotes, anecdotes, and stories, but if you must give an example, make it short. This will ensure that your reader will get the information while appealing to their emotions. Your readers want information and definite summary of the whole article. It is this way that they will connect with you.