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Colorful Books

BOOKS ON WRITING

Books for writers are essential resources that offer guidance, inspiration, and practical advice to help writers improve their craft. They cover a wide range of topics, from story structure and character development to grammar and punctuation, and can provide valuable insights and techniques to enhance the writing process.

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Cómo escribir diálogos

Iria López Teijeiro - Spanish

The book aims to help writers improve their skills in writing realistic and engaging dialogues for their characters. Also, it covers a variety of topics, such as the importance of understanding your characters, the use of dialects and accents, and the different ways to convey emotions through dialogues.

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Recursos de estilo y juegos literarios

Silvia Adela Kohan - Spanish

The title translates to "Style resources and literary games". It is a book that provides various exercises and techniques to improve writing skills and develop a unique writing style. The book covers topics such as point of view, figurative language, dialogue, and character development, among others.

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Scrittura Creativa

Giuseppe Pontiggia - Italian

The book provides practical tips and exercises for aspiring writers to develop their skills in writing fiction, poetry, and drama. The book is divided into sections that cover different aspects of the writing process, such as plot, character, and dialogue, and includes examples from famous works of literature to illustrate its points

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Lettere a un giovane lettore

Lorenzo Chiereghin - Italian

"Lettere a un giovane lettore" by Lorenzo Chiereghin is a book in which the author writes letters to a hypothetical young reader, offering advice and insights on the writing and reading process. The book is written in a conversational style and covers a range of topics related to literature, including the importance of reading widely, the role of language in writing, and the process of revision.

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Structuring Your Novel

K M Weiland - English

Review: Why do some stories work and others don't? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA Award-winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs.

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Nobody Wants To Read Your Sh*t

Steven Pressfield - English

Review: “When you understand that nobody wants to read your shit, you develop empathy. You acquire the skill that is indispensable to all artists and entrepreneurs - the ability to switch back and forth in your imagination from your own point of view as writer/painter/seller to the point of view of your reader.

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Dialogue

Robert McKee - English

Review: The book offers a in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue.

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Ernst Hemmingway on Writing

Larry W Phillips - English

Review: An assemblage of reflections on the nature of writing and the writer from one the greatest American writers of the 20th century. This book contains Hemingway’s reflections on the nature of the writer and on elements of the writer’s life, including specific and helpful advice to writers on the craft of writing, work habits, and discipline.

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Zen in the Art of Writing

Ray Bradbury - English

Review: The author of Fahrenheit 451 offers inspiration and insight on finding one’s muse and channeling it onto the page. Part memoir, part philosophical guide, the essays in this book teach the joy of writing. Rather than focusing on the mechanics of putting words together.

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Plot & Structure

James Scott Bell - English

Review: How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course?
With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot.

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The Writing Life

Annie Dillard - English

Review: In these short essays, Annie Dillard—the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood—illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that characterize the existence of a writer. A moving account of Dillard’s own experiences while writing her works, The Writing Life offers deep insight into one of the most mysterious professions.

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How to Write Bestselling Fiction

Dean Koontz - English

Review: Tells would-be novelists about the fiction market, offers advice on grammar, style, character development, and plot, and explains how to deal with agents and editors.

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Writing the Breakout Novel

Donald Maass - English

Review: Maass details the elements that all breakout novels share - regardless of genre - then shows you writing techniques that can make your own books stand out and succeed in a crowded marketplace. Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel - one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists.

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On Writing Well

William Zinsser - English

Review: Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher.

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Hooked

Les Edgerton - English

Review: In Hooked, author Les Edgerton draws on his experience as a successful fiction writer and teacher to help you overcome the weak openings that lead to instant rejection by showing you how to successfully use the ten core components inherent to any great beginning

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Writer’s Market

Robert Lee Brewer - English

Review: Want to get published and paid for your writing? Let Writer's Market, 100th edition guide you through the process. It's the ultimate reference with thousands of publishing opportunities for writers, listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests and awards, and literary agents—as well as new playwriting and screenwriting sections, along with contact and submission information.

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Writing Down the Bones

Natalie Goldberg - English

Review: Natalie Goldberg inspires writers and would-be writers to take the leap into writing skillfully and creatively. She offers suggestions, encouragement, and solid advice on many aspects of the writer's craft: on writing from "first thoughts", on listening (writing is ninety percent listening; the deeper you listen, the better you write), on using verbs (verbs provide the energy of the sentence), and overcoming doubts.

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I Should Be Writing

Mur Lafferty - English

Review: Should Be Writing is everything you’d hope to find in a writing workshop, condensed into one highly effective journal. It’s time to stop dreaming about what you want to write and finally do it!. The book guides you through the nuts-and-bolts process of honing your craft, including writing myths to ignore, how to refine your creative process, listening to your inner muse while ignoring your inner bully, and more.

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The Artist’s Way

Julia Cameron - English

Review: The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.

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A Writer’s Guide to Persistence

Jordan Rosenfeld - English

Review: A Writer's Guide to Persistence is your road map through the rugged terrain of the writer's path. You'll discover advice and techniques for cultivating a fruitful, deeply meaningful writing life by practicing your craft, polishing your work, and persisting through even the toughest challenges.

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Steal Like an Artist

Austin Kleon - English

Review: An inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age, Steal Like an Artist presents ten transformative principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life.

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The Sense of Style

Steven Pinker - English

Review: In this short, cheerful, and eminently practical book, Pinker shows how writing depends on imagination, empathy, coherence, grammatical knowhow, and an ability to savor and reverse engineer the good prose of others. He replaces dogma about usage with reason and evidence, allowing writers and editors to apply the guidelines judiciously, rather than robotically, being mindful of what they are designed to accomplish.

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Consider This

Chuck Palahniuk - English

Review: In this spellbinding blend of memoir and insight, best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk shares stories and generous advice on what makes writing powerful and what makes for powerful writing.

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Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to the Legal Issues of Self-Publishing

Helen Sedwick - English

Review: Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook is the first step-by-step guide to the legal issues of self-publishing. Attorney and self-published author Helen Sedwick uses 30 years of legal experience to show writers how to stay out of court and at their desks.

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Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success

Kelly James Enger - English

Review: Writer for Hire is just the wisdom full- and part-time freelancers need. Author Kelly James-Enger details: 101 secrets to success, organized into five overarching strategies, invaluable advice on managing deadlines, querying effectively, working with clients, handling taxes, invoices, and strategies for getting more writing gigs, including networking.

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Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

Ann Handley - English

Review: In the newly revised and updated edition of Everybody Writes, marketer and author Ann Handley improves on her Wall Street Journal bestselling book that’s helped hundreds of thousands become better, more confident writers. She delivers all the practical, how-to advice and insight you need for the process and strategy of content creation, production, and publishing.

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La escritura terapéutica

Silvia Adela Kohan - Spanish

The book explores the therapeutic benefits of writing. It offers a practical guide to using writing as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery. The book includes exercises and prompts to help readers explore their emotions, memories, and experiences through writing. The author also provides insights into the creative process and offers tips for improving one's writing skills.

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Escrever ficção

Luiz Antonio Assis - Portuguese

Highly recommended book on writing advice, originally written in Portuguese. It offers practical guidance on how to develop characters, build plots, and create realistic settings, as well as tips on the writing process and revision techniques. The book is aimed at both novice and experienced writers, and it provides plenty of examples from well-known authors to illustrate the author's points.

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Per scrivere bene imparate a nuotare

Giuseppe Pontiggia - Italian

The book is a comprehensive guide to writing fiction, including novels, short stories, and screenplays. The book provides practical advice on all aspects of the writing process, from developing characters and plotting a story to writing dialogue and description. It also includes tips on how to get published and promote your work.

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Il mestiere di scrivere.

Luisa Carrada - Italian

The author covers topics such as character development, dialogue, and plot structure, and provides tips on how to overcome common writing challenges. The book is aimed at both aspiring and experienced writers and includes exercises to help readers put the concepts into practice.

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The War of Art

Steven Pressfield - English

Review: Since 2002, The War of Art has inspired people around the world to defeat "resistance"; to recognize and knock down dream-blocking barriers and to silence the naysayers within us. This book identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

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Dear Writer you Need to Quit

Becca Syme - English

Review: Syme`s book is based on positivity and it emphasizes leaning into what you're already good at, instead of trying to force yourself to fit into a mold that doesn't work for you as an individual. She has great advice for writers and she advocates being thoughtful, intentional, and playing to your strengths as a creative person.

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Creating Character Arcs

K M Weiland - English

Review: By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story. Great resource to help you write a fiction novel. Weiland does a superb job of walking the reader through the steps that will produce a great novel.

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Save the Cat

Jessica Brody - English

Review: Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 "beats", that comprise a successful story - from the opening image to the finale, to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate - and a novel that will sell.

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The Writing Life

Marie Arana - English

Review: The book does a close examination of writers' concerns about the creative process and the place of literature in America. For anyone interested in the making of fiction and nonfiction, here is a fascinating vantage on the writer's world -- an indispensable guide to the craft.

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Getting into Character

Brandilyn Collins - English

Review: Getting Into Character will give you a whole new way of thinking about your writing. Drawing on the Method Acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use. You’ll discover concepts that will lead you to understand and communicate the motivation and psychology of all your characters.

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King - English

Review: Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

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Bird by Bird

Anne Lamott - English

Review: New York Times Best Seller. An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come.

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Stein On Writing

Sol Stein - English

Review: Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for all writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether they are newcomers or old hands, students or instructors, amateurs or professionals. As the always clear and direct Stein explains here, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions--how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."

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The Elements of Style

William Strunk - English

Review: The Elements of Style is considered by many to be the definitive writer's guide and English grammar textbook to help Readers improve their writing ability. Those reasons are that it is helpful, simple to follow and break down, interactive, and is easily accessible and updated for modern readers. It is a stable cornerstone on which to build your writing skills.

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On Writing

Stephen King - English

Review: Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

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The Associated Press Stylebook

Associated Press - English

Review: The Associated Press Stylebook, 56th Edition, includes more than 300 new or revised entries. Specialized chapters cover sports, business, punctuation, data journalism, health and science, news values, polls and surveys, and digital security for journalists.

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Writing Short Stories

Courttia Newland - English

Review: Writing Short Stories: A Writers' and Artists' Companion is an essential guide to writing short fiction successfully.

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Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

Renni Browne & Dave King - English

Review: Teaches how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples.

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Word Work

Bruce Holland Rogers - English

Review: Combining sympathy with practical advice, this guide enables writers to overcome mental and spiritual battles to get words on a page. Anecdotes from established authors, psychological theory, and hands-on exercises help writers understand and move beyond writer’s block. Topics include preventing procrastination, generating inspiration, staying passionate, targeting long-term happiness, the role of relationships, and dealing with both rejection and success.

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War of Art

Steven Pressfield - English

Review: Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline.

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The Paris Review Interviews

Philip Gourevitch - English

Review: Introduces an entirely original selection of sixteen of the most celebrated interviews. Often startling, always engaging, these encounters contain an immense scope of intelligence, personality, experience, and wit from the likes of Elizabeth Bishop, Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Rebecca West, and Billy Wilder. This is an indispensable book for all writers and readers.

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The Lonely Voice

Frank O’Connor - English

Review: The Lonely Voice offers a master class with the master. With his sharp wit and straightforward prose, O’Connor not only discusses the techniques and challenges of a form in which "a whole lifetime must be crowded into a few minutes," but he also delves into a passionate consideration of his favorite writers and their greatest works, including Chekhov, Hemingway, Kipling, Joyce, and others.

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The Emotional Craft of Fiction

Donald Maass - English

Review: Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers. Topics covered include: emotional modes of writing, beyond showing versus telling and connecting the inner and outer journeys.

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How to Make a Living With Your Writing

Joanna Penn - English

Review: Each section of the book provides ideas you can use to research each opportunity in more detail and questions to guide your thought process. Sometimes it’s just about knowing what’s out there in order to find what’s right for you.

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Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living by Manjula Martin

Manjula Martin - English

Review: In the literary world, the debate around writing and commerce often begs us to take sides: either writers should be paid for everything they do or writers should just pay their dues and count themselves lucky to be published. You should never quit your day job, but your ultimate goal should be to quit your day job. It’s an endless, confusing, and often controversial conversation that, despite our bare-it-all culture, still remains taboo. In Scratch, Manjula Martin has gathered interviews and essays from established and rising authors to confront the age-old question: how do creative people make money?

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The Breakout Novelist: How to Craft Novels That Stand Out and Sell

Donald Maass - English

Review: Veteran literary agent Donald Maass brings together the best innovative and practical information from his previous books and workshops to help you set your novel apart from the competition. Maass shares examples from successful and contemporary writers across all genres to equip you with strategies for crafting compelling fiction--from core elements like character, setting, description, and plot, to more advanced techniques including theme, tension, and suspense. Plus, you'll find over 70 practical exercises to help you evaluate your writing to the breakout level.

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