An Ode to My Favorite Books on Writing

One YA Author’s Journey to Publication

After hooking my dream agent, I spent an agonizing eleven months on revisions. Now, I don’t know what’s standard or anything, but let me tell you that every moment of that eleven months felt like an eternity.

Because I’ve learned more from others than I possibly could have on my own, I thought it might be helpful to someone out there if I shared a few of the essentials that got me through the painful process of revisions. So, here goes.

A Few Essentials . . .

1. A sounding board. This can come in many forms, but I am fortunate to have a close writer friend who I formed a writer’s group with. We trade chapters weekly and comment within the text on everything from dialogue to the structure of the plot. My agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin, also provided powerful feedback that pushed me through the entire process.

2. Chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

3. A few incredible books on writing. If you’re a writer and find yourself struggling with any of the topics covered below, I highly recommend any of these.

Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go – Les Edgerton

This book is made up of some seriously amazing stuff. For real. My copy is highlighted and underlined and dogeared. And so very loved. Les Edgerton gives many insightful tips on helping you figure out where to start your novel to most effectively hook your reader (hopefully a very interested agent or editor!).

Buy Now: http://bit.ly/c45cpF

Make a Scene – Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Also amazing. From an opening that will hook your reader, to a climactic closing, Jordan Rosenfeld will lead you in developing strong scenes that will make your manuscript memorable.

Buy Now: http://bit.ly/ceF8a2

Plot – Ansen Dibell

This book will guide you as you make the many choices that come with planning, outlining, and writing your manuscript.

Buy Now: http://bit.ly/ac3SPN

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends – Nancy Kress

So very helpful. Nancy Kress provides a breakdown of each part of a novel, and helps you figure out how to organize all the stuff flying around in your head.

Buy Now: http://bit.ly/bqAXzo

I mentioned that I used these during my revisions. But I must add that I referred to them all for a refresher as I began working on my next project. These books are certainly not specific to revision, and I believe that if you use them once, you’ll probably go back for more as you delve into a new manuscript.